WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.760 --> 00:00:03.200 Welcome to the Big Blue Insider. Dick Gabriel with you 2 00:00:03.319 --> 00:00:06.599 on a Wednesday edition of our program and coming up tonight. 3 00:00:06.719 --> 00:00:09.599 As usual on Wednesdays, we have our West End Bureau chief, 4 00:00:09.960 --> 00:00:12.320 Gary Moore Hill join us in our number two, as 5 00:00:12.359 --> 00:00:15.400 will the unforgettable guard Sean Woods. But we'll talk with 6 00:00:15.439 --> 00:00:19.039 Sean about Pete Rose, about UK football, and we'll work 7 00:00:19.039 --> 00:00:22.519 in some basketball as well, what with UK's Pro Day 8 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:25.519 coming up next week as well as Madness also coming 9 00:00:25.559 --> 00:00:28.079 up at the bottom of the hour, JJ Weaver, who 10 00:00:28.079 --> 00:00:32.399 of course is a really talented outside linebacker for the Wildcats, 11 00:00:32.399 --> 00:00:34.960 and he and his teammates pulled off that upset of 12 00:00:35.039 --> 00:00:38.399 ole mission. If not for the Georgia Alabama game, it 13 00:00:38.399 --> 00:00:41.479 would have been the lead story in college football day long. 14 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:44.640 But they don't care. They got the win down in Oxford, 15 00:00:44.759 --> 00:00:49.719 and JJ has been selected to the NCAA Football Bowl 16 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:54.320 Subdivision All State AFCA Good Works Team, which puts him 17 00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:58.000 in the running for the Danny Wirfol Trophy, named of 18 00:00:58.039 --> 00:01:02.000 course after the really gifted former Florida Gator quarterback and 19 00:01:02.079 --> 00:01:06.840 led Florida to the ninety six nca Championship under Steve Spurrier. 20 00:01:07.319 --> 00:01:10.480 So we'll talk with JJ at the bottom of the hour. 21 00:01:10.959 --> 00:01:13.879 And I remember I covered the SEC. I think I 22 00:01:13.959 --> 00:01:16.879 mentioned this before. I know I have the SEC Football 23 00:01:16.959 --> 00:01:20.680 Championship game for about fifteen years for the SEC Radio network. 24 00:01:21.040 --> 00:01:25.640 And of course Florida wins the SEC Championship that season 25 00:01:26.319 --> 00:01:31.079 and Danny Warfol came into the hotel bar, not that 26 00:01:31.120 --> 00:01:33.640 he's a bar hopper or whatever or whatever, but as 27 00:01:33.680 --> 00:01:36.560 he came back from the stadium and the team was 28 00:01:36.599 --> 00:01:39.319 staying in the Hyatt and Man, when he walked in 29 00:01:39.400 --> 00:01:42.719 bought the cheers went up. But a friend of mine 30 00:01:43.599 --> 00:01:47.439 worked for the Florida equivalent back then of the cat's 31 00:01:47.519 --> 00:01:51.560 paws was called Gator Bait, and he told me, I 32 00:01:51.599 --> 00:01:55.159 remember that weekend about Danny Wirfole and how Werfel was 33 00:01:55.200 --> 00:01:59.719 able to handle Steve Spurrier. If you're a Kentucky football fan, 34 00:01:59.840 --> 00:02:01.560 you've been around for a while or maybe you know 35 00:02:01.640 --> 00:02:06.959 about the game in nineteen ninety three, that's when Kentucky 36 00:02:07.040 --> 00:02:10.240 had Florida down beaten and then lost it at the 37 00:02:10.319 --> 00:02:15.800 last second on Chris Doring's first touchdown catch. And I 38 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:18.680 think Worfol threw it, but it might have been Terry Dean. 39 00:02:18.719 --> 00:02:24.159 I can't remember exactly, but I know this that Steve 40 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:28.159 Spurrier shuffled his quarterbacks all night long, back and forth, 41 00:02:28.199 --> 00:02:31.039 back and forth, because both of them kept throwing picks 42 00:02:31.439 --> 00:02:35.360 one through four the other through three. But Kentucky didn't 43 00:02:35.400 --> 00:02:39.120 take advantage, didn't score. And then Doring, who's been on 44 00:02:39.159 --> 00:02:42.120 my show many times, and as I've mentioned before, I 45 00:02:42.120 --> 00:02:46.159 have chosen to forgive him for catching that pass. But 46 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:49.759 Worfle went on to become a real solid leader for 47 00:02:49.800 --> 00:02:52.319 that team, played briefly in the NFL as a backup 48 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:56.680 practice squad guy. But my friend Mark Bradley, who writes 49 00:02:57.000 --> 00:03:00.199 for the Atlanta Journal Constitution so well for many many years, 50 00:03:00.639 --> 00:03:03.280 he once told me, because he covered that game for 51 00:03:03.319 --> 00:03:06.360 the Harold Leader, he said, I think Spra and Spurrier 52 00:03:06.719 --> 00:03:09.400 flip flop quarterbacks all the time, not just in that 53 00:03:09.479 --> 00:03:12.759 game or just for that season. He said, I think 54 00:03:12.800 --> 00:03:17.719 Spurrier changes quarterbacks so much because he can't put himself in. 55 00:03:18.240 --> 00:03:22.520 And I thought that was a perfect explanation of why 56 00:03:22.560 --> 00:03:24.639 he did that. But what my buddy told me about 57 00:03:24.719 --> 00:03:28.199 Danny warfol was Worfel was a very strong Christian, divided 58 00:03:28.280 --> 00:03:33.159 in his faith and therefore answered as they say to 59 00:03:33.280 --> 00:03:36.639 a higher power, and to too many kids, the head 60 00:03:36.680 --> 00:03:40.199 coach is that higher power. But Worfel, my friend said, 61 00:03:40.599 --> 00:03:45.199 never worried about Spurrier like that because of his faith 62 00:03:45.240 --> 00:03:47.840 and that helped him get through the tough times playing 63 00:03:47.879 --> 00:03:52.159 quarterback for Steve Spurrier. But a good man, good player, 64 00:03:52.479 --> 00:03:54.560 and has a trophy named after him. And by the way, 65 00:03:55.599 --> 00:03:58.639 there is one of those trophies because when you win that, 66 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:02.120 of course the kid gets a trophy. I don't know 67 00:04:02.159 --> 00:04:04.599 if the school gets a separate trophy, but I know this. 68 00:04:05.120 --> 00:04:09.360 In the UK trophy case at the Fieldhouse there is 69 00:04:10.080 --> 00:04:14.120 a Werfel Trophy thanks to Courtney Love who won it 70 00:04:14.759 --> 00:04:19.639 not so long ago. And now it's JJ Weaver who 71 00:04:19.720 --> 00:04:22.879 gets the opportunity Courtney Love wanted back in twenty seventeen. 72 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:26.519 How about that. So we'll talk to JJ a little 73 00:04:26.519 --> 00:04:30.560 bit later on. Speaking of Alabama Georgia, such a great 74 00:04:30.600 --> 00:04:34.519 game and hyped all week as well it should have been, 75 00:04:35.879 --> 00:04:39.439 and according to ABC and ESPN their streaming platforms, of 76 00:04:39.439 --> 00:04:44.600 course it was on ABC. ESPN streamed it. The Nielsen 77 00:04:44.680 --> 00:04:51.240 ratings were incredible. It averaged twelve million viewers, most watched 78 00:04:51.279 --> 00:04:56.079 regular season primetime game since twenty seventeen, that was the 79 00:04:56.120 --> 00:05:00.360 Alabama Florida State game on Opening weekend got twelve point 80 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:06.399 three million. Alabama Georgia was ESPN's most streamed regular season 81 00:05:06.480 --> 00:05:11.920 game ever. Audience peaked at fourteen point one million from 82 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:15.959 eleven to fifteen to eleven thirty PM. That's when Alabama 83 00:05:16.120 --> 00:05:21.040 was fighting off that rally from Georgia and Ryan Williams 84 00:05:21.040 --> 00:05:23.959 caught that seventy five yard touchdown pass from Jalen Milroe 85 00:05:23.959 --> 00:05:27.720 with a couple minutes left, and of course, Carson Beck 86 00:05:27.720 --> 00:05:30.360 throws a pick in the end zone to end the 87 00:05:30.360 --> 00:05:33.920 game and any chance that Georgia had. But the numbers 88 00:05:33.920 --> 00:05:37.839 were phenomenal. And here's what's even more amazing. According to 89 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:43.600 Chris Fowler, who called the game for ABC, those fans, 90 00:05:43.680 --> 00:05:47.399 the million who tuned in almost didn't see it because 91 00:05:47.399 --> 00:05:51.639 Fowler said, they had a power generator die and so 92 00:05:51.759 --> 00:05:55.639 that could have meant no broadcast. He said at one 93 00:05:55.680 --> 00:06:02.680 point he couldn't hear himself or his partners, and the 94 00:06:02.759 --> 00:06:07.040 crew of course scrambled to get things back on the air, 95 00:06:08.319 --> 00:06:11.720 to get things powered back up, and as he pointed out, 96 00:06:13.199 --> 00:06:17.279 when your computer goes down or when you have to 97 00:06:17.319 --> 00:06:21.319 restart it, it's got to reboot, right, Well, imagine all 98 00:06:21.360 --> 00:06:26.680 those trucks plural, multiple trucks having to reboot, and how 99 00:06:26.759 --> 00:06:32.120 much time it would take. So the generator dies and 100 00:06:32.160 --> 00:06:34.079 they had to get a backup really quickly. They died 101 00:06:34.120 --> 00:06:38.759 before they went on the air, and they brought in 102 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:42.160 the college game day generator. Of course it's on the 103 00:06:42.160 --> 00:06:47.560 other side of campus. Needed a police escort, so they 104 00:06:47.600 --> 00:06:50.959 get into the stadium, they hook it all up and 105 00:06:51.040 --> 00:06:53.680 whoever was in charge of that and make sure that 106 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:59.279 equipment didn't get fried. I get nervous just thinking about it, 107 00:06:59.279 --> 00:07:02.959 and I wasn't even part of the production team. Amazing, 108 00:07:03.639 --> 00:07:08.000 just amazing that they were able to survive that. So 109 00:07:09.160 --> 00:07:12.279 if you saw the game, good for you. He enjoyed it. 110 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:15.319 Good for you, but you almost didn't get to see it. 111 00:07:15.920 --> 00:07:20.519 About that follow up on Pete Rose, the coroner has 112 00:07:20.600 --> 00:07:23.759 issued a report stating that the hit King died of 113 00:07:23.839 --> 00:07:29.600 natural causes, meaning it was his failing health basically high 114 00:07:29.639 --> 00:07:34.800 blood pressure, hardening of the arteries, heart disease caused. Of course, 115 00:07:34.839 --> 00:07:37.680 I'm certain by then. I'm no doctor, but I have 116 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:41.199 diabetes and I'm always warned about these things. I take medication, 117 00:07:41.480 --> 00:07:43.839 try to follow the diet, and I'm sure he did 118 00:07:43.879 --> 00:07:47.480 too to a point. But at eighty three his body 119 00:07:47.519 --> 00:07:53.279 finally succumbed. And that's the insidiousness of diabetes. This disease 120 00:07:53.759 --> 00:07:59.120 can really ravage your body at an accelerated rate. Now, 121 00:07:59.160 --> 00:08:03.600 Pete was eighty three but always kept himself in pretty 122 00:08:03.600 --> 00:08:07.519 good shape. But he finally caught up with him. And 123 00:08:07.800 --> 00:08:11.839 that's the report from the corner in Nevottom. People have 124 00:08:11.879 --> 00:08:15.319 weighed in on Pete Rose, and Tony Korneiser had a 125 00:08:15.360 --> 00:08:19.000 great point on PTI with Mike Wilbon. Why he and 126 00:08:19.040 --> 00:08:21.439 so many reporters loved talking to Pete. 127 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:24.600 Pete Rose was a sports writer's dream, and I covered 128 00:08:24.680 --> 00:08:28.600 him here and there. He would talk to anybody and everybody, 129 00:08:28.879 --> 00:08:32.159 and he would talk for hours. He knew all of 130 00:08:32.200 --> 00:08:34.919 his numbers, all of his numbers, and he knew all 131 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:37.960 of your numbers. He knew how many career doubles you had, 132 00:08:38.120 --> 00:08:40.799 he knew how many sacrifice flies you had. He knew 133 00:08:40.919 --> 00:08:45.679 everyone's abilities. I mean it was like he was a 134 00:08:45.960 --> 00:08:50.559 human computer, a baseball computer. Remember that firstbee computer, UNIVAC. 135 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:54.799 Pete Rose was the UNIVAC. He knew everything about baseball, 136 00:08:55.000 --> 00:08:58.039 could he be a caveman. Yes, yes, he could be 137 00:08:58.080 --> 00:09:00.600 a caveman, Yes he could. 138 00:09:00.639 --> 00:09:02.960 But he'd fill your notebook, he would fill your recorder, 139 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.399 he'd fill your camera with everything you needed because he 140 00:09:06.480 --> 00:09:09.200 loved talking to reporters, just love talking baseball. We'll talk 141 00:09:09.279 --> 00:09:12.639 more with Gary Moore, Western Bureau Chief about Pete Rose 142 00:09:14.320 --> 00:09:18.159 coming up an hour number two. Baseball playoffs under way, 143 00:09:18.440 --> 00:09:20.200 and of course we're pre recorded, so I'm not going 144 00:09:20.279 --> 00:09:23.759 to go with scores or anything. But book Shamby made 145 00:09:23.799 --> 00:09:27.600 a great comment on one of the national broadcasts. This 146 00:09:27.679 --> 00:09:32.440 goes back to how different people hate different announcers, And 147 00:09:32.720 --> 00:09:34.919 having been in this business for a long time, I've 148 00:09:34.960 --> 00:09:38.600 heard it. I've had stuff directed to me. You know, 149 00:09:39.159 --> 00:09:43.279 everybody has about our biases, and you hate this guy, 150 00:09:43.360 --> 00:09:45.480 you hate that guy, you hate these fans you don't know, 151 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:48.879 and you always hear it's more about the national guys, 152 00:09:48.960 --> 00:09:51.919 especially Joe Buck, who I think does a great job 153 00:09:52.480 --> 00:09:55.320 and I don't think he shows any bias toward anybody, 154 00:09:55.960 --> 00:09:59.039 but so many people rip him from being biased one 155 00:09:59.039 --> 00:10:01.759 way or the other. And Shawby made a great point, 156 00:10:02.080 --> 00:10:04.639 kind of a sarcastic line. He wasn't mean about it, 157 00:10:05.279 --> 00:10:08.960 but he shared these thoughts with the national audience yesterday, 158 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:11.559 and he was referring to the fact that all the 159 00:10:11.679 --> 00:10:16.039 local broadcasts, the announcers you've heard all year calling games 160 00:10:16.080 --> 00:10:19.440 for your team, well they're done for the season and 161 00:10:19.759 --> 00:10:23.240 all the games now belong to the national network. So 162 00:10:23.320 --> 00:10:27.480 they bring in the national announcers and they're not biased 163 00:10:27.600 --> 00:10:30.440 as there shouldn't be, and they really aren't in any way. 164 00:10:30.519 --> 00:10:32.519 But here's what Shabi said, as. 165 00:10:32.360 --> 00:10:33.960 I was saying earlier, this is the time of the 166 00:10:34.039 --> 00:10:37.399 year the national guys come in. Were force scouting against 167 00:10:37.399 --> 00:10:40.919 your favorite team, both teams. That's usually the way people 168 00:10:40.960 --> 00:10:43.080 take in giving a shout out to Gary Keathan Ron. 169 00:10:43.600 --> 00:10:46.639 Sideline reporters are people to Steve Gelbs love you so 170 00:10:46.799 --> 00:10:50.600 via minerd on the Milwaukee side bold do I mean 171 00:10:50.759 --> 00:10:55.519 it's too great broadcasting. So I didn't need to you know, 172 00:10:55.759 --> 00:11:02.120 I needed to amend that because leaving Gelzzi out, I. 173 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:04.639 Helpe that hit home with people who are already gearing 174 00:11:04.720 --> 00:11:08.120 up complaints for how biased toward the other team. This 175 00:11:08.159 --> 00:11:11.240 announcer is One other note before we hit the brake, 176 00:11:11.759 --> 00:11:15.039 this is the worst kept secret in the NBA. I 177 00:11:15.080 --> 00:11:18.120 don't think it's a secret anymore. But the Knicks and 178 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:23.440 the Timberwolves are swapping Wildcats, among others, Karl Anthony Towns 179 00:11:23.759 --> 00:11:27.000 for Julius Randall. I gotta get my New York Bureau 180 00:11:27.039 --> 00:11:31.240 Chief Mike Sephosnik on this story. But now it's a 181 00:11:31.240 --> 00:11:35.320 three way deal Nicks, Timberwolves, Hornets, and the Hornets end 182 00:11:35.399 --> 00:11:39.559 of it does not include any former Wildcat. But anytime 183 00:11:39.600 --> 00:11:42.080 there's a trade in the NBA, now I look closely 184 00:11:42.120 --> 00:11:44.919 because the odds are thanks to Caliperi putting all these 185 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:49.879 teams in the league, it just might involve a former Wildcat. 186 00:11:49.919 --> 00:11:55.039 And this one is a blockbuster, multiplayer, multi team deal 187 00:11:55.960 --> 00:11:58.960 with Karl Anthony Towns going to New York and he's 188 00:11:59.000 --> 00:12:02.320 from New Jersey for Julius Randall. So I guess the 189 00:12:02.360 --> 00:12:04.879 Knicks giving up on him. And it's financially driven. I've 190 00:12:04.919 --> 00:12:08.480 read up on this. It's what could the Timberwolves afford 191 00:12:08.519 --> 00:12:11.840 to keep because it's not just Towns they're dealing with, 192 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:16.039 but other players, So part of it, a big part 193 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:19.600 of it is financially driven, and both the Knicks and 194 00:12:19.639 --> 00:12:22.840 the Timberwolves have flirted with success and maybe a new 195 00:12:22.919 --> 00:12:29.080 change of venue for both Randall and Towns. Will help 196 00:12:29.159 --> 00:12:31.200 them take the next step. So we'll find out more 197 00:12:31.200 --> 00:12:35.679 when we can. Up next, a little Kentucky football history 198 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:37.919 for you want to come here on the Big Boon 199 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:42.000 Sider six thirty wlap Welcome back to the Big Boon 200 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:44.720 Sider coming up in just a few minutes away from JJ. Weaver, 201 00:12:44.879 --> 00:12:49.200 Kentucky senior outside linebacker, selected as one of only eleven 202 00:12:49.320 --> 00:12:53.600 members from the NCA Football Bowl Subdivision to the All 203 00:12:53.639 --> 00:12:57.120 State AFCA Good Works Team, which puts him into running 204 00:12:57.399 --> 00:13:00.799 for the twenty twenty four All State war Full Trophy 205 00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:05.080 name for former Gators quarterback Danny Whirfel. That was something 206 00:13:05.120 --> 00:13:08.559 that Courtney Love, a former Kentucky linebacker, won a few 207 00:13:08.639 --> 00:13:11.879 years ago. So we'll hear from JJ about that, about 208 00:13:12.120 --> 00:13:14.320 his season, but of course about all the good work 209 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:17.200 he has done that put him on the Good Works Team. 210 00:13:17.440 --> 00:13:20.639 A little bit later on, as always, on Wednesday, Sean Woods, 211 00:13:20.639 --> 00:13:23.559 our unforgettable guard and our West End Bureau chief Gary 212 00:13:23.600 --> 00:13:27.559 Moore joins us and programming note tomorrow night, at least, 213 00:13:27.639 --> 00:13:30.519 that's how we've got it scheduled. The chain Gang, the 214 00:13:30.559 --> 00:13:32.840 garage guys will be here. They will be in the 215 00:13:32.879 --> 00:13:35.799 garage and we'll be talking about all kinds of things, 216 00:13:35.879 --> 00:13:39.399 from UK football and basketball to the late great Pete Rose, 217 00:13:39.399 --> 00:13:42.840 and of course my man Doug Flynn played with Pete 218 00:13:42.960 --> 00:13:48.120 Rose and Keith Madison, UK's baseball coach, knew Pete Rose 219 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:50.320 a little bit from when Keith was in the Reds Chain. 220 00:13:50.720 --> 00:13:54.480 And Darren Hedrick, the radio voice of UK Baseball, knows 221 00:13:54.840 --> 00:13:57.840 as much baseball as anybody I know, so that should 222 00:13:57.840 --> 00:14:00.000 be interesting. But like I said, we'll run the goale 223 00:14:00.480 --> 00:14:04.720 as we always do football, baseball and basketball. I wanted 224 00:14:04.720 --> 00:14:07.679 to share with you though a little history and I 225 00:14:07.720 --> 00:14:10.799 touched on this this morning when I was sitting in 226 00:14:10.799 --> 00:14:14.600 for Tom Leach on the Leech Report. But Mark Stoops 227 00:14:15.240 --> 00:14:17.960 has been honored a couple of times this week. He 228 00:14:18.120 --> 00:14:22.840 is the Bobby Dodd Coach of the Week, but also 229 00:14:22.960 --> 00:14:27.200 the Bear Bryant Coach of the Week, given by different agencies. 230 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:31.799 And what's ironic about that was Bobby Dodd and Bear 231 00:14:31.919 --> 00:14:36.679 Bryant were enemies for the longest time. And I knew 232 00:14:36.720 --> 00:14:40.759 about this only because when Bill Curry was hired at Kentucky. 233 00:14:41.600 --> 00:14:44.000 You know, you do a little deep dive on the background, 234 00:14:44.159 --> 00:14:48.279 and one of the reasons that Bill was not popular 235 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:51.720 at Alabama. The reason number one couldn't beat Auburn. But 236 00:14:51.799 --> 00:14:54.320 even if he had beaten Auburn, and he won a 237 00:14:54.360 --> 00:14:59.600 ton of games at Alabama, and people say, oh, it's Alabama, anybody, No, 238 00:15:00.120 --> 00:15:03.279 go back and look at what happened at Alabama before 239 00:15:03.320 --> 00:15:06.320 he got there, and really in and around Curry, he 240 00:15:06.360 --> 00:15:10.080 won a bunch of games. But of course Saban set 241 00:15:10.120 --> 00:15:13.639 the new standard for everybody. But there were times that 242 00:15:13.759 --> 00:15:17.919 Alabama had flirted with being irrelevant, so it wasn't easy 243 00:15:18.360 --> 00:15:22.080 being a head coach there. And then Curry worked against him. 244 00:15:22.159 --> 00:15:26.399 He played for Bobby Dodd at Georgia Tech. And so 245 00:15:26.480 --> 00:15:29.919 now Alabama has hired a Georgia Tech guy. Well why 246 00:15:29.960 --> 00:15:32.200 did they do that? Well, Job Thomas was the president, 247 00:15:32.480 --> 00:15:36.279 Steve Sloan, who had a great relationship with job Thomas, 248 00:15:36.759 --> 00:15:38.960 was the athletics director, and Steve Sloan had a great 249 00:15:38.960 --> 00:15:41.799 relationship with Bill Curry. So now the three of them 250 00:15:42.240 --> 00:15:45.559 came in and like I said, they won. But Curry 251 00:15:45.639 --> 00:15:51.320 was never popular, never at Georgia Tech. And ironically enough, 252 00:15:51.320 --> 00:15:56.440 according to Wikipedia, it was in nineteen seventy five that 253 00:15:56.600 --> 00:15:59.559 Bill Curry kind of and I don't know why, it 254 00:15:59.559 --> 00:16:01.759 doesn't give any If I ever get a chance to 255 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:03.639 talk to Curry again, I'll have to ask him about this. 256 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:07.919 Bill Curry kind of got the two coaches together, and 257 00:16:07.960 --> 00:16:10.200 this had to have been big. Bill was still playing 258 00:16:10.200 --> 00:16:13.200 in the NFL, I think back then, but was also 259 00:16:13.240 --> 00:16:17.679 a sportscaster in Atlanta in the offseason. But he got 260 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:20.840 the two guys together and they buried the hatchet somewhat. 261 00:16:20.879 --> 00:16:25.480 I don't know how intensely they got along after that, 262 00:16:26.799 --> 00:16:29.000 but I just thought it was a fascinating bit of 263 00:16:29.120 --> 00:16:37.960 history and quite the coincidence that Mark Stoops is or 264 00:16:38.000 --> 00:16:43.039 has been honored by two different groups, one representing Bobby 265 00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:48.000 dot In, one representing Bear Bryant. And it goes back 266 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:53.879 initially to Georgia Tech versus Alabama at Legion Field. After 267 00:16:53.919 --> 00:16:59.519 a Tech punt, Alabama fair caught the ball and a 268 00:16:59.559 --> 00:17:04.640 guy named Chick Graining was playing coverage relaxed after the 269 00:17:04.680 --> 00:17:08.759 signal for the fair catch, and an Alabama player smashed 270 00:17:08.759 --> 00:17:14.000 his elbow into Graining's face and caused a severe injury 271 00:17:14.400 --> 00:17:18.400 knocked him out concussion. He was never able to play 272 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:22.519 football again. Dodd sent Brian a letter asking him to 273 00:17:22.599 --> 00:17:25.319 suspend Holt after the game, said he had done it 274 00:17:25.359 --> 00:17:29.880 on purpose. Brian never did. That infuriated Dodd, and it 275 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:33.079 really kind of lit the fire under Dodd to pull 276 00:17:33.119 --> 00:17:36.519 out of the SEC. Georgia Tech lost that game, by 277 00:17:36.519 --> 00:17:38.920 the way, ten nothing. Bama goes on to win the 278 00:17:38.960 --> 00:17:44.359 AP National Championship. It's first. Now supposedly the reason that 279 00:17:44.440 --> 00:17:47.839 Georgia Tech left the ACC. Many of you know Georgia 280 00:17:47.880 --> 00:17:52.359 Tech used to be a member of the SEC, But 281 00:17:52.599 --> 00:17:58.640 supposedly Dodd was upset with over recruitment. Back then, you 282 00:17:58.680 --> 00:18:03.920 could sign only one hundred and forty football and basketball 283 00:18:03.960 --> 00:18:11.359 players total, but those teams were still allowed to sign 284 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:15.440 up to forty five players a year, So if you 285 00:18:15.519 --> 00:18:18.559 recruit your full allotment of players each year, you're gonna 286 00:18:18.599 --> 00:18:22.559 be well over the one forty max even with normal attrition. 287 00:18:23.880 --> 00:18:28.000 Dodd worked to meet the guidelines. Other schools kept right 288 00:18:28.039 --> 00:18:33.200 on piling up people and allotting all of a nominal 289 00:18:33.240 --> 00:18:38.319 amount to football, and Dodd was upset about that, couldn't 290 00:18:38.319 --> 00:18:46.240 do anything about it, and eventually Georgia Tech left the league. 291 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:49.759 He wanted to have the rule changed and said we're 292 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:53.960 gonna leave unless you change that rule. Bear allegedly had 293 00:18:54.000 --> 00:18:56.640 promised Dodd he would get his president to vote for 294 00:18:56.759 --> 00:18:59.519 Dodd's position, which would have changed the rule. But in 295 00:18:59.640 --> 00:19:05.039 January of sixty four, Alabama's president voted against Dodd's position. 296 00:19:05.880 --> 00:19:10.799 The president split six to six, but Georgia Tech's president 297 00:19:11.240 --> 00:19:15.400 immediately in that meeting walked to the podium and announced, 298 00:19:15.720 --> 00:19:20.160 we're out. We're pulling out of the sec How about 299 00:19:20.200 --> 00:19:23.839 that now. One of the sidebars here was a story 300 00:19:23.839 --> 00:19:27.480 in the Saturday Evening Post Kids, that's an old magazine. 301 00:19:27.960 --> 00:19:32.720 Furman Bisher, who's a legendary sports writer, wrote a story 302 00:19:33.920 --> 00:19:38.160 that charged Bear Bryant with encouraging his players to engage 303 00:19:38.200 --> 00:19:42.039 in brutality once again. This was in nineteen sixty one 304 00:19:42.079 --> 00:19:49.480 against Georgia Tech. And that story also six months later 305 00:19:49.599 --> 00:19:52.119 there was a story called the Story of a College 306 00:19:52.119 --> 00:19:56.720 Football Fix and charged Bryan and Wally Butts, who was 307 00:19:56.759 --> 00:20:00.640 the ad at Georgia, was conspiring in sixty to fix 308 00:20:00.720 --> 00:20:05.519 their game, the Georgia Alabama game in Alabama's favor. Both 309 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:10.119 sued Bear Bryant sued Wally Butt sued Bear settles out 310 00:20:10.160 --> 00:20:12.759 of court for the publishing house for three hundred thousand 311 00:20:12.799 --> 00:20:18.559 dollars but got three point one million landmark case and 312 00:20:18.680 --> 00:20:23.359 libel because it established conditions under which a news organization 313 00:20:23.960 --> 00:20:27.640 can be held liable for defamation of a quote public figure. 314 00:20:28.680 --> 00:20:33.400 So there's so much history involved with Alabama and Georgia Tech, 315 00:20:33.880 --> 00:20:38.480 Bobby Dodd, Bear Bryant, And as I said, it wasn't 316 00:20:38.559 --> 00:20:43.920 until I had looked into this and googled Bobby Dodd 317 00:20:45.519 --> 00:20:50.680 that Bill Curry's name came up, and he negotiated the 318 00:20:50.720 --> 00:20:53.920 peace settlement in nineteen seventy five. And by the way, 319 00:20:54.319 --> 00:20:58.960 those teams obviously had stopped playing and they started playing again. 320 00:21:00.720 --> 00:21:05.960 So when you look back at the history of SEC football, 321 00:21:06.000 --> 00:21:08.599 there's all kinds of little nuggets like that, just like 322 00:21:09.240 --> 00:21:11.440 the nugget that And again Tom had it in his 323 00:21:11.519 --> 00:21:14.000 notes from today's show. It was on this day in 324 00:21:14.079 --> 00:21:19.880 nineteen ninety nine that Kentucky upset Arkansas, which was number 325 00:21:19.920 --> 00:21:22.920 sixteen at the time in USA today number twenty in 326 00:21:22.960 --> 00:21:26.279 the AP and Kentucky was supposed to be it was 327 00:21:26.319 --> 00:21:28.680 at the time, I think two and two, and Owen 328 00:21:28.720 --> 00:21:31.640 won in the league and Arkansas was supposed to come 329 00:21:31.640 --> 00:21:36.759 in and Clapper the Wildcats, but did not mentioned that 330 00:21:36.880 --> 00:21:41.799 in the first segment. So I like history. I like 331 00:21:41.839 --> 00:21:44.359 when you can look back on days like today, and 332 00:21:44.400 --> 00:21:49.119 I remember that Kentucky team. I don't specifically remember that game. 333 00:21:49.160 --> 00:21:52.359 I remember Kentucky won it. But that was a season 334 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:56.400 that was full of surprises, nineteen ninety nine when the 335 00:21:56.440 --> 00:21:59.680 defense ruled the day. And as I said earlier, that 336 00:21:59.720 --> 00:22:03.200 could the case for this Kentucky team. Up next, JJ 337 00:22:03.319 --> 00:22:06.559 Weaver part of that UK defense. Later on, Sean Woods 338 00:22:06.839 --> 00:22:09.279 and Western Bureau Chief Gary Moore, You're on the Big 339 00:22:09.279 --> 00:22:11.960 bon Sider six thirty WLAP Welcome back to the Big 340 00:22:12.000 --> 00:22:15.160 Moon Sider joining us. Now we've talked before JJ Weaver 341 00:22:15.240 --> 00:22:18.200 and I at practices and after games on the UK 342 00:22:18.359 --> 00:22:20.559 Radio network, but we are here to talk to JJ 343 00:22:21.440 --> 00:22:24.440 about being part of the All State Good Works Team, 344 00:22:24.920 --> 00:22:28.680 one of eleven players in FBS football. Congratulations on that. 345 00:22:29.720 --> 00:22:32.319 Thank you. I'm honored to be on the All State 346 00:22:32.400 --> 00:22:33.079 Go Works Team. 347 00:22:33.559 --> 00:22:35.839 What's so cool about that is you get to see 348 00:22:35.880 --> 00:22:38.759 that trophy every day, don't you? In the field as 349 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:42.480 because of Courtney Loves doing back in twenty seventeen. 350 00:22:43.200 --> 00:22:45.359 Yeah, you know Cody Love and want to see once 351 00:22:45.400 --> 00:22:49.440 I got nominated, once I got honored, You're a first 352 00:22:49.440 --> 00:22:51.400 one to shoot me a test like that's what we 353 00:22:51.480 --> 00:22:55.799 do at UK congrat good work teams, Let's go. So 354 00:22:55.839 --> 00:22:59.759 it was honor just just getting an award, just being 355 00:23:00.559 --> 00:23:04.759 just just showing the word that I'm blessed in honor 356 00:23:04.880 --> 00:23:06.440 to have of good works. 357 00:23:07.240 --> 00:23:09.640 It seems like now every game that you play in 358 00:23:09.680 --> 00:23:12.160 the national announcers bring up the fact that you were 359 00:23:12.200 --> 00:23:16.240 doing so much work to help kids who were in 360 00:23:16.279 --> 00:23:18.839 your shoes. Everybody knows your story. All the UK fans 361 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:21.480 know about how you lost your dad, you lost your coach, 362 00:23:22.839 --> 00:23:24.839 you had a terrible injury. And I don't mean to 363 00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:27.720 sound like I'm belittling that by just listing them, but 364 00:23:28.200 --> 00:23:31.440 it's because you've handled it so brilliantly. And now you've 365 00:23:31.440 --> 00:23:34.279 got a group that you've put together to try to 366 00:23:34.799 --> 00:23:39.200 help kids your age, college age kids deal with stuff 367 00:23:39.279 --> 00:23:41.400 like that. Tell me about how that all came around. 368 00:23:42.920 --> 00:23:46.000 It came along because I was hurting myself, you know, 369 00:23:46.400 --> 00:23:48.599 once I lost my dad, once I lost my coach 370 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:52.119 and told me I said, I was destroyed inside. I 371 00:23:52.119 --> 00:23:54.799 didn't know what else to do. You know, I needed help. 372 00:23:54.920 --> 00:23:56.279 At the end of the day, I needed help. I 373 00:23:56.319 --> 00:23:58.640 didn't know how to deal with. 374 00:23:57.960 --> 00:23:58.880 With losing. 375 00:24:00.039 --> 00:24:02.839 Both peoples I loved and losing the game I play. 376 00:24:03.000 --> 00:24:05.480 So it was hard to cope a lot. So actually 377 00:24:05.880 --> 00:24:08.799 I needed help. I figure that I needed help, and 378 00:24:09.000 --> 00:24:12.960 once I got help, it was okay. Once I got help, 379 00:24:13.039 --> 00:24:16.720 it's time to help others because I knew I was struggling. 380 00:24:16.759 --> 00:24:19.759 I knew when somebody lose somebody they loved it hurt 381 00:24:19.960 --> 00:24:22.960 and once and once when I was hurting in school, 382 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:26.759 I stopped going to class. You know, I stop, stop 383 00:24:26.960 --> 00:24:30.079 stop taking football serious, you know, cause I was hurt. 384 00:24:30.160 --> 00:24:31.839 So I don't want nobody else to go through I 385 00:24:31.880 --> 00:24:34.599 went through. I want to help them before they get 386 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:34.960 to that. 387 00:24:35.720 --> 00:24:37.279 You really get blindsided. 388 00:24:37.359 --> 00:24:37.640 I know. 389 00:24:37.880 --> 00:24:41.519 You know your dad was murdered, your coach died suddenly, 390 00:24:41.519 --> 00:24:43.920 then ACL injury can happen, as you know, to any 391 00:24:43.960 --> 00:24:47.759 athlete on any play. It's so sudden, isn't it, And 392 00:24:47.799 --> 00:24:51.039 suddenly you're forced to deal with that. That's just tough, 393 00:24:51.160 --> 00:24:51.559 isn't it. 394 00:24:52.119 --> 00:24:53.759 Yeah, most definitely it was. It was hard. 395 00:24:53.839 --> 00:24:55.720 But definitely it was hard for me and my family 396 00:24:56.160 --> 00:24:59.359 and the peoples around me because I affect a lot 397 00:24:59.359 --> 00:25:01.960 of people are with the energy I I give off 398 00:25:02.039 --> 00:25:06.559 man the good the goods I give off to other people. 399 00:25:06.599 --> 00:25:10.279 So and now you've got a group together. Uh, and 400 00:25:10.319 --> 00:25:13.400 you're you're I know you're you're working on trying to 401 00:25:13.440 --> 00:25:17.440