WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.440 --> 00:00:02.480 Welcome to the Big Blue and sider Dick Gabriel with 2 00:00:02.520 --> 00:00:05.000 you on a Tuesday edition of our program. Tuesday have 3 00:00:05.040 --> 00:00:07.719 a bye week, but we're going to keep talking about 4 00:00:07.719 --> 00:00:11.119 football because of Kentucky's win over Ole Miss, and tonight 5 00:00:11.160 --> 00:00:14.480 we'll talk with Van Hiles, the former Kentucky defensive back. 6 00:00:14.519 --> 00:00:16.920 You hear him on Monday Mornings with Tom Leech, the 7 00:00:16.960 --> 00:00:19.960 Monday Morning quarterback. Here him on Sunday Morning Sports Talk. 8 00:00:20.280 --> 00:00:22.440 You hear him on his podcast and all. But I 9 00:00:22.519 --> 00:00:24.920 had to dial him up, or I will dial him 10 00:00:24.960 --> 00:00:26.640 up a little bit later on in the show. We 11 00:00:26.719 --> 00:00:29.719 try not to impose upon him every week, but I 12 00:00:29.800 --> 00:00:32.719 just love talking football with Van, and we talked last 13 00:00:32.759 --> 00:00:35.640 week going into this game. I specifically wanted to talk 14 00:00:35.679 --> 00:00:38.920 to Van, being a former Kentucky defensive back and had 15 00:00:38.920 --> 00:00:40.840 a short time in the NFL, so he knows what 16 00:00:40.880 --> 00:00:43.439 he's talking about, and I wanted to know what it 17 00:00:43.479 --> 00:00:46.280 was going to take for this Kentucky defense to handle 18 00:00:46.280 --> 00:00:49.159 a little Miss And things went well, as you know. 19 00:00:49.280 --> 00:00:51.119 So we'll talk to Van at the bottom of the hour, 20 00:00:51.640 --> 00:00:54.359 but we'll also talk to John Clay, the Harold Leader, 21 00:00:54.799 --> 00:00:57.399 and Jonathan Bruner of the Kentucky Colonel about the game. 22 00:00:57.439 --> 00:01:00.439 But going to talk to John as well, my old 23 00:01:00.479 --> 00:01:04.640 friend Steve Moss from WKYT about the passing of Pete Rose. 24 00:01:04.959 --> 00:01:07.159 And of course John covered the Reds a great deal 25 00:01:07.680 --> 00:01:12.840 for the hero leader. And Steve made several trips up 26 00:01:12.840 --> 00:01:15.040 to cover the Reds, both when he and I worked 27 00:01:15.040 --> 00:01:17.079 together and other times, and he got a couple of 28 00:01:17.120 --> 00:01:20.799 Pete Rose stories I will ask him to share. So 29 00:01:21.640 --> 00:01:25.640 that's coming up. And of course Major League Baseball playoffs 30 00:01:25.640 --> 00:01:28.640 are underway, with the Yankees and the Guardians in the 31 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:34.400 American League getting the first round Byes, Astros, Tigers Orioles Royals. Nationally, 32 00:01:34.519 --> 00:01:39.079 the Dodgers and Phillies get the Buys, so it's Brewers, Mets, Padres, Braves. 33 00:01:39.519 --> 00:01:42.799 Pick out the team you want. But I will tell 34 00:01:42.799 --> 00:01:47.120 you this that hanging over the playoffs this year in 35 00:01:47.159 --> 00:01:51.079 the World Series will be the passing of Pete Rose. 36 00:01:51.640 --> 00:01:56.519 You know, Baseball's hits king holds several other all time records, 37 00:01:56.519 --> 00:02:00.959 games played at bats, things like that, but he will 38 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:04.519 always have what has been called a complicated legacy because 39 00:02:04.560 --> 00:02:08.000 of his gambling, the gambling scandal that had him banned 40 00:02:08.039 --> 00:02:12.879 for life from baseball, meaning he's ineligible for the Hall 41 00:02:12.919 --> 00:02:15.840 of Fame, and that debate will go on even if 42 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:20.639 he is somehow later posthumously inducted into the Hall of Fame, 43 00:02:21.360 --> 00:02:23.479 people will still debate whether he belongs there or not. 44 00:02:23.560 --> 00:02:25.960 We talked about it on the show last night, Aaron 45 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:29.360 Gershawn and Billy Religie and I I don't believe he 46 00:02:29.439 --> 00:02:33.479 belongs in the conventional way. But if there's a wing 47 00:02:34.479 --> 00:02:39.280 or people who didn't do everything properly, like steroids or gambling, 48 00:02:39.439 --> 00:02:42.240 sure why not. I think the fact that he is 49 00:02:42.280 --> 00:02:46.680 the all time hits king should not override the fact 50 00:02:46.919 --> 00:02:50.159 then not only did he gamble on baseball, that was 51 00:02:50.280 --> 00:02:54.479 the cardinal rule. Everybody knows, and if you've never been 52 00:02:54.520 --> 00:03:00.000 in a major league clubhouse, there's a huge sign reminding you, 53 00:03:00.039 --> 00:03:04.120 reminding the players that they are not to gamble. Pete 54 00:03:04.159 --> 00:03:09.319 ignored that and then lied about it, lied to his teammates, 55 00:03:10.439 --> 00:03:13.840 and according to my man Doug Flynn never apologized to 56 00:03:13.919 --> 00:03:17.800 his teammates for lying about it. It was odd last 57 00:03:17.879 --> 00:03:22.919 night and just a coincidence, sad coincidence that ESPN got 58 00:03:22.960 --> 00:03:26.639 the news from the son of one of Pete's teammates, 59 00:03:26.759 --> 00:03:30.360 Eduardo Perez. He's a broadcaster and a really good one 60 00:03:31.159 --> 00:03:35.000 for ESPN's baseball coverage, and he of courses, the son 61 00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:38.199 of Tony Perez, and as he was wrapping up a 62 00:03:38.240 --> 00:03:43.280 live hit from a stadium with Jay Harris, he interrupted 63 00:03:43.360 --> 00:03:46.479 Jay to share the sad news of what he had 64 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:50.680 just heard, coincidentally enough, from Pete Rose's son, Pete. 65 00:03:50.520 --> 00:03:53.800 Junior Metzcrew Wars Game one tomorrow evening, five point thirty 66 00:03:53.800 --> 00:03:57.439 pm easton bridget Yes, y, yes, I. 67 00:03:57.400 --> 00:03:59.280 Want to throw in a little breaking news, a little 68 00:03:59.319 --> 00:04:02.360 sad news that I just received as well. Here in 69 00:04:02.400 --> 00:04:05.840 the last inning. My father called me and I confirmed 70 00:04:05.840 --> 00:04:09.840 it with my really really my brother, Pete Rose Junior. 71 00:04:10.759 --> 00:04:18.720 Pete Rose passed away today and it's hard. So you know, 72 00:04:18.759 --> 00:04:20.720 it's one of those times where Hanna and I have 73 00:04:20.800 --> 00:04:24.120 been together on set for the loss of Jose Fernandez 74 00:04:24.199 --> 00:04:27.399 years ago almost to the day, and just to be 75 00:04:27.439 --> 00:04:30.560 able to have lost Pete Rose today is a big 76 00:04:30.639 --> 00:04:34.240 hit for a lot of baseball families. So it's a tough. 77 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:37.879 One right now, all right, Eduardo, as we get more 78 00:04:37.879 --> 00:04:41.519 information on that, we appreciate, we appreciate you giving us 79 00:04:41.560 --> 00:04:44.079 everything that you have this evening on the baseball in 80 00:04:44.079 --> 00:04:47.040 the Newswell, thank you so much, that. 81 00:04:47.079 --> 00:04:50.120 Said Wardo Perez talking to Jay Harris on ESPN, which 82 00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:55.079 did not really dive into coverage of Pete's passing for 83 00:04:55.160 --> 00:04:57.120 another thirty minutes or so. I guess they had to 84 00:04:57.199 --> 00:05:00.120 rally the troops and pull out the video and all 85 00:05:00.199 --> 00:05:04.279 that and perhaps get independent confirmation, even though at Wardo 86 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:09.439 said he got it from Pete Junior. But that's how 87 00:05:09.439 --> 00:05:15.800 the news broke ones was actually ESPN two. So everybody 88 00:05:15.839 --> 00:05:19.319 who covered the Reds at some point has a Pete 89 00:05:19.399 --> 00:05:22.000 Rose story, and I've got a couple of them that 90 00:05:22.079 --> 00:05:25.120 aren't super great. You know, it's just people. A lot 91 00:05:25.160 --> 00:05:27.720 of people have much better stories. But I will tell 92 00:05:27.759 --> 00:05:30.720 you he was my favorite player growing up. I tried 93 00:05:30.759 --> 00:05:33.240 to play like him, except for the head first slide. 94 00:05:33.759 --> 00:05:36.480 I didn't want to break fingers but try to switch 95 00:05:36.560 --> 00:05:39.600 hit things like that, and just really really love Pete 96 00:05:39.680 --> 00:05:41.839 Rose as a player. But I'm in the Reds clubhouse 97 00:05:42.680 --> 00:05:47.600 in nineteen seventy five, Big Red Machine time, and I'm 98 00:05:47.680 --> 00:05:52.360 leaning on Joe Morgan's locker, which was on the edge 99 00:05:52.399 --> 00:05:56.879 of basically what was kind of a horseshoe shape locker configuration. 100 00:05:57.319 --> 00:06:00.920 So I'm kind of the closest to the pathway between 101 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:06.560 the showers and the trainer's room, and I'm jotting things 102 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:10.680 down in my notebook working for the Kentucky Colonel Student newspaper, 103 00:06:11.319 --> 00:06:15.360 and I look up and here comes Pete Rose. He's 104 00:06:15.399 --> 00:06:18.319 only wearing a towel, so he's got that big barrel 105 00:06:18.439 --> 00:06:21.120 chest to all those muscles, and I thought, man, that 106 00:06:21.240 --> 00:06:24.639 is a big guy. Not tall, but he's big. Then 107 00:06:24.680 --> 00:06:26.480 I go back to my notebook. Well, at the time, 108 00:06:27.399 --> 00:06:29.160 I had a beard, not like the beard you might 109 00:06:29.199 --> 00:06:32.279 have seen me wearing on Channel twenty seven that was 110 00:06:32.360 --> 00:06:35.639 closely trimmed. This thing kind of hung down a little bit. 111 00:06:36.439 --> 00:06:38.959 And I had long hair. Not that I was making 112 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:42.600 any kind of political statement, but I couldn't afford a 113 00:06:42.639 --> 00:06:46.360 haircut at the time, being a starving college student. But 114 00:06:46.399 --> 00:06:48.360 I'm sure to Pete I looked like a dirty hippie. 115 00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:52.240 And not that it excuses what he did, which was 116 00:06:52.680 --> 00:06:55.920 with me not even looking at him, he planted his 117 00:06:56.040 --> 00:06:59.920 shoulder in the middle of my sternum, middle of my chest. 118 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:04.839 I go staggering back about three steps, didn't fall down, 119 00:07:04.920 --> 00:07:09.079 thank god, but I looked back at him like, hey, man, 120 00:07:09.319 --> 00:07:12.240 didn't say anything, and over his shoulder. He looks back 121 00:07:12.240 --> 00:07:15.759 and he goes sorry and just keeps right on walking, 122 00:07:16.120 --> 00:07:20.480 never broke stride. I thought, what a guy. But then 123 00:07:20.519 --> 00:07:23.000 when he decided to leave the Reds and go free agent, 124 00:07:23.040 --> 00:07:26.199 couldn't work out anything with the Reds. He made the 125 00:07:26.319 --> 00:07:31.560 rounds to various ball clubs negotiating. They came to Lexing, 126 00:07:31.639 --> 00:07:34.439 It came to Darby Dan Farm because the owner, Dan 127 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:38.600 Goalbreth owned the Pirates. They really wanted him. Everybody wanted him, 128 00:07:39.959 --> 00:07:42.399 and I had one question to ask. They invited the 129 00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:45.199 media to come out after he was done talking to 130 00:07:45.240 --> 00:07:49.439 mister Goalbrith, and I thought, how can I ask this? 131 00:07:50.279 --> 00:07:52.240 And I turned it over in my mind and turned 132 00:07:52.279 --> 00:07:55.040 it over finally came up with a question like this. 133 00:07:56.079 --> 00:07:58.240 I said, Pete, because it looked like he was just 134 00:07:58.279 --> 00:08:01.480 making a money grab, and it was unheard of at 135 00:08:01.480 --> 00:08:04.519 the time. I mean, he had become such a highly 136 00:08:04.560 --> 00:08:09.480 paid player. But I said, Pete, what about the people 137 00:08:09.519 --> 00:08:12.759 who think you're being greedy? I didn't accuse him of 138 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:17.360 being greedy, but a lot of people had. And he said, 139 00:08:17.959 --> 00:08:20.800 I haven't asked for a dime. And I'm thinking what 140 00:08:21.639 --> 00:08:25.639 he said, all I've done is listen he said, Ewing Kaufman, 141 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:28.279 who owned the Kansas City Royals and made his money 142 00:08:28.839 --> 00:08:32.519 in pharmaceuticals. He said, he offered me interest in a 143 00:08:32.559 --> 00:08:37.000 pharmaceutical chain, he said, Aggie Bush, and Saint Louis offered 144 00:08:37.000 --> 00:08:40.720 me a brewery, you know, the Budweiser people. I'm not 145 00:08:40.720 --> 00:08:43.440 sure what he didn't tell us what gall brother offered him, 146 00:08:43.919 --> 00:08:47.480 but the Phillies eventually signed him and made him what 147 00:08:47.600 --> 00:08:50.000 was at the time the highest paid player in the 148 00:08:50.039 --> 00:08:54.960 history of baseball. And all of this came evidently without 149 00:08:55.080 --> 00:08:58.960 him asking for a dime. He just sat back and 150 00:08:59.000 --> 00:09:03.080 collected offers. So I don't even know if negotiation was 151 00:09:03.240 --> 00:09:06.600 the proper terminal. I'm sure his agent jumped in with 152 00:09:06.639 --> 00:09:10.360 some questions or suggestions, but those were the only two 153 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:13.440 dealings I had with Pete Rose. I know some other 154 00:09:13.440 --> 00:09:17.000 people had more. Steve Moss will join us here in 155 00:09:17.039 --> 00:09:19.919 a few minutes to share stories about Pete kind of 156 00:09:19.960 --> 00:09:25.799 took advantage of some young reporters from WKYT. Sadly, we 157 00:09:25.879 --> 00:09:31.080 also say goodbye to Kemby Mutumbo, the giant basketball player 158 00:09:32.000 --> 00:09:35.279 seven foot four or something like that. Hall of Famer. 159 00:09:35.679 --> 00:09:38.200 Remember he's the guy who wagged his finger when he 160 00:09:38.279 --> 00:09:41.360 blocked a shot and apparently was one of the most 161 00:09:41.399 --> 00:09:46.360 beloved players in terms of his personality in the history 162 00:09:46.360 --> 00:09:53.120 of the game Rockets, Knicks, Nets, Sixers, Hawks, and the 163 00:09:53.159 --> 00:09:58.360 Denver Nuggets. And he was the centerpiece for that Denver 164 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:02.559 defense when it was coached by Dan Issel, the Kentucky 165 00:10:02.559 --> 00:10:07.360 All American who coached the Nuggets to an upset of 166 00:10:07.399 --> 00:10:13.440 the SuperSonics back in I want to say nineteen ninety 167 00:10:14.519 --> 00:10:19.200 three or two. They were the first eight seed to 168 00:10:19.480 --> 00:10:24.200 upset a one seed and to kem Ba Mtumba was 169 00:10:24.320 --> 00:10:27.480 right in the middle of that and became really a 170 00:10:27.519 --> 00:10:31.519 world ambassador for basketball. Let me see here. It was 171 00:10:31.639 --> 00:10:36.279 ninety four actually when Denver beat Seattle in the Western 172 00:10:36.279 --> 00:10:39.799 Conference playoffs first time at eight beat a one. How 173 00:10:39.840 --> 00:10:44.759 about that. So to Kemba Mutumba, who popped up and 174 00:10:44.799 --> 00:10:48.759 in some commercials I can't remember what, but remember he 175 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:51.440 was hanging out at a grocery store and somebody would 176 00:10:51.440 --> 00:10:54.759 try to toss something into their basket and he would 177 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:58.080 slap it away and wag his finger and say no, no, no, 178 00:10:58.679 --> 00:11:03.240 and then giggle running off. I bet he made as 179 00:11:03.320 --> 00:11:09.039 much for those commercials as he did in his NBA day, 180 00:11:09.080 --> 00:11:13.480 well probably not his entire NBA career, but to Kimmy Mtumbo, 181 00:11:13.600 --> 00:11:17.159 gone way too soon at the age of fifty eight. 182 00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:19.159 All right, coming up in just a couple of minutes, 183 00:11:19.200 --> 00:11:22.480 Steve Moss, we'll share some Pete Rose stories with us 184 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:25.639 at the bottom of the hour of Van Hiles, former 185 00:11:25.720 --> 00:11:29.519 Kentucky defensive back. Hour number two. John Clay, the Harrow 186 00:11:29.600 --> 00:11:33.480 leader who was in Oxford covering the upset of those 187 00:11:33.519 --> 00:11:37.759 Ole miss rebels, and Jonathan Brunner from the Kentucky Colonel 188 00:11:38.279 --> 00:11:41.240 who also made the trip to Oxford. And he's just 189 00:11:41.279 --> 00:11:44.919 a youngster. He has not covered as many heartbreaking losses 190 00:11:44.960 --> 00:11:48.120 as John and I have. We're Steve Moss, but he 191 00:11:48.200 --> 00:11:50.480 got to be a part of the coverage of the 192 00:11:50.480 --> 00:11:54.759 Wildcats win over Mississippi Open Week this week, and then 193 00:11:54.759 --> 00:11:58.639 of course it's Vanderbilt coming to town. That one's always interesting. 194 00:11:58.679 --> 00:12:02.679 Between then and now, you got UK Pro Day on Monday. 195 00:12:03.159 --> 00:12:05.360 I'll be part of the TV covers with Jack Gibbons 196 00:12:05.840 --> 00:12:09.799 on SEC Plus and then Madness on October eleventh, that'll 197 00:12:09.799 --> 00:12:14.720 be seen on the SEC Network. So it's overlap time 198 00:12:14.960 --> 00:12:17.120 and we love it here in the Bluegrass. What to 199 00:12:17.120 --> 00:12:18.759 call him on six starter back joining us down in 200 00:12:18.759 --> 00:12:21.360 the celebrity hoighline as a longtime friend and Kylie we 201 00:12:21.440 --> 00:12:26.039 worked together many many years at WKYT. Steve Moss, who 202 00:12:26.639 --> 00:12:31.039 has shot sports in this town forever, which means that 203 00:12:31.080 --> 00:12:35.159 he has gone all kinds of places covering sports, including Cincinnati, 204 00:12:35.600 --> 00:12:37.919 and Steve, you and I made more than one trip 205 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:40.600 up there, but I don't ever recall you and me 206 00:12:41.480 --> 00:12:46.399 talking to Pete Rose, but you like to tell the story, 207 00:12:46.440 --> 00:12:49.600 and it's pretty hilarious about a time when one of 208 00:12:49.639 --> 00:12:53.720 our young reporters went up there and made a little 209 00:12:53.759 --> 00:12:58.039 bit of a mistake, which often young reporters do, and 210 00:12:58.440 --> 00:13:02.279 Pete Rose had he had a moment with Pete Rose, Yeah, 211 00:13:02.279 --> 00:13:02.639 he did. 212 00:13:03.200 --> 00:13:06.279 You're talking about John Jury, who was our weekend our 213 00:13:06.320 --> 00:13:10.559 weekend sports guy back in the late eighties. And I 214 00:13:10.559 --> 00:13:12.879 can't remember if it was eighty eight or eighty nine, 215 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:15.320 but I think I was either an intern or I 216 00:13:15.320 --> 00:13:19.120 had just started working there, uh, And Pete was in 217 00:13:19.159 --> 00:13:22.440 his last years as player manager for the Reds. He 218 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:26.399 had been traded came back as player manager and it 219 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:29.039 was a late fall game. I think they were playing 220 00:13:29.080 --> 00:13:32.519 the Giants, and John was like, hey, let's go down 221 00:13:32.559 --> 00:13:35.440 into the locker room in the clubhouse and get some 222 00:13:35.480 --> 00:13:38.039 postgame interviews. And I'm like, heck, yeah, I've never been 223 00:13:38.080 --> 00:13:42.200 down there before. And we went into the locker room 224 00:13:42.240 --> 00:13:44.840 and the players weren't ready, so we went into Pete's 225 00:13:44.879 --> 00:13:51.080 office and that's where the fund began. Basically, John was 226 00:13:51.120 --> 00:13:53.919 shooting with the camera and holding the microphone at the 227 00:13:53.919 --> 00:13:57.200 same time, and Pete looked at him and goes, I'll 228 00:13:57.200 --> 00:14:00.360 hold that mic for you. And there were two other 229 00:14:00.399 --> 00:14:05.200 guys in there, probably beat writers for the Reds, and 230 00:14:05.639 --> 00:14:07.360 they kind of got a chuckle out of it. But 231 00:14:07.440 --> 00:14:10.360 then Pete goes, are you're going to ask me a question? 232 00:14:10.559 --> 00:14:15.039 And I'll leave out I'll leave out the cussing and 233 00:14:15.080 --> 00:14:19.759 all that. But basically he had never seen us before. 234 00:14:19.919 --> 00:14:23.600 He kind of it was kind of like sharks, you know, 235 00:14:24.000 --> 00:14:27.399 feeling the chum in the water, and he took advantage 236 00:14:27.399 --> 00:14:30.480 of it, and it was was kind of humiliating. And 237 00:14:30.519 --> 00:14:33.679 I've never forgotten it because I, you know, growing up, 238 00:14:33.759 --> 00:14:36.320 was a fan of the Big Red Machine and here's 239 00:14:36.360 --> 00:14:41.360 my opportunity to talk to probably arguably the greatest player 240 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:46.200 in Cincinnati history. And it was just such a tremendous 241 00:14:46.279 --> 00:14:50.200 letdown because he just couldn't help himself. He was not 242 00:14:50.399 --> 00:14:52.480 very nice that night. And you know, I've since read 243 00:14:52.519 --> 00:14:58.240 books about about Pete, including Keith O'Brien's recent book Charlie Hustle, 244 00:14:58.279 --> 00:15:00.759 and you realize, you know, he's not the greatest guy 245 00:15:00.799 --> 00:15:03.840 in the world. He was a great baseball player. But 246 00:15:03.960 --> 00:15:07.440 on that night, you know, he reaffirmed that you're never 247 00:15:07.480 --> 00:15:12.559 supposed to meet your heroes. Yeah, yeah, uh so that 248 00:15:12.679 --> 00:15:15.399 was Yeah, that's kind of our story, was it he teasing. 249 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:18.960 Him about he was like sweating profusely. 250 00:15:19.720 --> 00:15:20.080 Yeah. 251 00:15:20.240 --> 00:15:22.919 He looked at John at one point and he goes, 252 00:15:23.039 --> 00:15:25.600 are you sweating? Why are you sweating? I'm the one 253 00:15:25.639 --> 00:15:29.320 answering the questions here, And John made, uh, you know, 254 00:15:29.440 --> 00:15:31.879 made a remark about how it was a cool night. 255 00:15:31.960 --> 00:15:33.759 He had a sweater on. Un plus he had a 256 00:15:33.759 --> 00:15:36.720 hot light on top of his camera, and Pete made 257 00:15:36.759 --> 00:15:39.799 the comment, yeah, and if you'd take that, that damn 258 00:15:39.919 --> 00:15:44.600 seattle slew blanket off your back, and you know, and 259 00:15:44.639 --> 00:15:46.720 at that point, it's like, I think we probably need 260 00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:49.039 to be leaving. So we went out into the locker 261 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:52.360 room and we were talking actually to Barry Lark and 262 00:15:52.360 --> 00:15:54.799 I don't remember if Larkin was a rookie that year, 263 00:15:54.799 --> 00:15:58.360 but he had jammed his wrist or something, and and 264 00:15:58.480 --> 00:16:00.679 we were getting shots of his wrist because he had 265 00:16:00.759 --> 00:16:03.519 ice on it and all that stuff. And literally as 266 00:16:03.559 --> 00:16:08.360 we were leaving his locker stall, we almost bumped into Pete. 267 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:11.279 He had been standing there watching us the whole time, 268 00:16:12.279 --> 00:16:16.399 and and he made some comment like we were hard 269 00:16:16.480 --> 00:16:19.519 up for a story. So that's when we decided we 270 00:16:19.639 --> 00:16:21.159 probably need to head back to Lexington. 271 00:16:22.440 --> 00:16:24.840 Yeah, and you know, he did that to another one 272 00:16:24.840 --> 00:16:28.879 of our guys who mistakenly called him coach. 273 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:29.480 Called him coach. 274 00:16:29.759 --> 00:16:33.519 Yeah, And that's happened more than one occasion. 275 00:16:34.200 --> 00:16:34.559 Coach. 276 00:16:35.159 --> 00:16:37.399 I've got coaches down the hallway. Let me go get 277 00:16:37.440 --> 00:16:40.120 Alex Grammer. So he's the coach. I'm the manager. You 278 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:41.000 can call me skip. 279 00:16:41.279 --> 00:16:44.720 Yeah. You want to talk to a coach, you go 280 00:16:44.799 --> 00:16:48.039 down to their offices down the hall. It's just amazing 281 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:52.759 how sensitive baseball managers are to that, you know. 282 00:16:52.919 --> 00:16:56.559 Yeah, yeah, for sure, I've heard that story many times. 283 00:16:56.919 --> 00:16:59.799 And and and he's not the only guy who was, 284 00:17:00.840 --> 00:17:03.080 you know, got caught in a crossfire there with Pete 285 00:17:03.159 --> 00:17:05.559 on something like that. I've heard others say the same thing. 286 00:17:05.839 --> 00:17:08.480 Yeah, were you a Reds fan growing up? 287 00:17:09.440 --> 00:17:11.799 Yeah, I loved the Big Red Machine. I mean, you know, 288 00:17:12.440 --> 00:17:17.400 being located as close to Cincinnati as Georgetown is, you know, 289 00:17:17.480 --> 00:17:21.519 they were the team you rooted for, and arguably Pete 290 00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:24.880 the greatest player on Cincinnati's greatest teams. You know, by 291 00:17:24.960 --> 00:17:27.960 default you're thinking, well, I mean, this guy can do 292 00:17:28.039 --> 00:17:30.720 no wrong, you know, until you meet him. And I 293 00:17:30.759 --> 00:17:33.640 also remember a time where I can't remember, I was 294 00:17:33.640 --> 00:17:36.160 thinking about this last night. I don't remember if it 295 00:17:36.200 --> 00:17:38.640 was a Wendy's or if it was a Long John Silvers, 296 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:40.640 but it was the first of one of those two 297 00:17:41.960 --> 00:17:45.279 fast food places that opened in Letchington. They hired Pete 298 00:17:45.279 --> 00:17:49.680 to come down and kind of be the guy who 299 00:17:49.799 --> 00:17:53.319 opened the new restaurant. And I remember my you know, 300 00:17:53.400 --> 00:17:55.200 asking my mom to take me up. There was a 301 00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:58.200 new Circle Road and I met Pete for the first time. 302 00:17:58.319 --> 00:18:01.799 He autographed to pick for me, and he took a picture. 303 00:18:01.960 --> 00:18:04.920 Yeah yeah, And I think that might have been in 304 00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:07.799 nineteen sixty nine, when I was like seven six or 305 00:18:07.839 --> 00:18:12.039 seven years old, and I probably still have that picture somewhere. So, 306 00:18:13.079 --> 00:18:16.160 you know, then you become a fan and you understand 307 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:18.799 the game a little more and you realize those teams 308 00:18:18.799 --> 00:18:22.400 are really good. You know, some of the greatest teams 309 00:18:22.440 --> 00:18:25.839 in the history of baseball. And he's the guy who 310 00:18:26.680 --> 00:18:28.240 you know, stirs the drink. 311 00:18:28.319 --> 00:18:32.200 Yea, So well, listen, I appreciate the time and we'll 312 00:18:32.319 --> 00:18:32.839 chat soon. 313 00:18:34.000 --> 00:18:34.599 Sounds good. 314 00:18:35.960 --> 00:18:37.920 Hour Number two is next with John Clay on six 315 00:18:37.920 --> 00:18:43.000 point thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big One, Cider, 316 00:18:43.039 --> 00:18:45.119 and I am very pleased and happy to be joined 317 00:18:45.240 --> 00:18:47.599 as always by one of my favorite guys, Van Hiles, 318 00:18:47.640 --> 00:18:52.480 former Kentucky defensive back, but especially now, Van, because I 319 00:18:52.519 --> 00:18:55.119 try not to impose upon you too much because you're 320 00:18:55.160 --> 00:18:58.559 pulling so many different directions. You're the Monday morning quarterback 321 00:18:58.559 --> 00:19:02.039 with Tom leech Son Morning Sports Talk. You've got your 322 00:19:02.039 --> 00:19:05.640 own podcasts and videos going. But I had to double 323 00:19:05.680 --> 00:19:09.279 back with you because what a win. You're we just 324 00:19:09.400 --> 00:19:12.240 going nuts in your house or just smiling a lot. 325 00:19:13.400 --> 00:19:18.160 I'm a cumbination of both. Also also a little frustrated 326 00:19:18.200 --> 00:19:21.759 because you know, I was taught by coach Rick Smith 327 00:19:22.279 --> 00:19:26.480 to look at the bad things sometimes, and this defense 328 00:19:27.200 --> 00:19:31.400 Ole miss really shouldn't have scored but at most ten points, 329 00:19:31.799 --> 00:19:35.640 so that still bothers me. A little bit because this 330 00:19:35.839 --> 00:19:39.759 defense played so well in the secondary, really came to 331 00:19:39.799 --> 00:19:43.000 this game and really played their best game. I'm gonna say, 332 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:45.880 I know this recent device in the Stuke's era, the 333 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:48.240 way they locked down Old Miss was insane. 334 00:19:50.240 --> 00:19:53.240 Tell me a little bit more about what you saw 335 00:19:54.079 --> 00:19:56.759 from Let's go back first and talk about the Old 336 00:19:56.799 --> 00:19:59.680 Miss defense, because it looked to me Van and you're 337 00:19:59.680 --> 00:20:02.799 an ex on this stuff like they were. They were 338 00:20:02.839 --> 00:20:08.160 going to slap, hold, push every time they could against 339 00:20:08.200 --> 00:20:11.000 one of the Kentucky receivers, especially Dan Key because that 340 00:20:11.079 --> 00:20:13.759 was the early target. But down there on the field, 341 00:20:13.799 --> 00:20:16.640 it looked, like I've said it before, one of those yields. 342 00:20:16.680 --> 00:20:19.039 Like a basketball game. Well, they can't call every foul, 343 00:20:19.480 --> 00:20:21.599 and they really started to call them though, But man, 344 00:20:21.640 --> 00:20:23.079 those guys were all over him. 345 00:20:24.119 --> 00:20:28.079 That That is exactly the analogy. It's like a basketball team. 346 00:20:28.160 --> 00:20:31.960 Are they going to allow you to on bar to handcheck? 347 00:20:32.400 --> 00:20:35.279 If they are, then we're going to win this game. 348 00:20:35.319 --> 00:20:38.440 We're going to force the rest to call all of 349 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:42.720 these calls. When you're playing Manland on an Island, a 350 00:20:42.759 --> 00:20:46.920 lot of corners get a little bit they they get 351 00:20:46.920 --> 00:20:49.119 a little bit uncomfortable and they freak out a little bit. 352 00:20:49.440 --> 00:20:51.759 So the first thing you're gonna do is grab just 353 00:20:51.799 --> 00:20:54.440 in case. So I would rather get a fifteen year 354 00:20:54.440 --> 00:20:57.680 old penalty. Again, they get a sixty seventy eighty year pass. 355 00:20:58.119 --> 00:21:01.079 So that's what happened to them. And the great thing 356 00:21:01.200 --> 00:21:05.440 I'm gonna say this again, we are not giving coach 357 00:21:05.519 --> 00:21:10.559 Shartz the credit he deserves. The nuances of route running 358 00:21:10.640 --> 00:21:15.759 had improved so much that that's why they were able 359 00:21:15.799 --> 00:21:19.279 to feel comfortable going for fourth and seven on that 360 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:22.000 down on what a twenty some yard line because if 361 00:21:22.000 --> 00:21:24.039 you look at the play, we had two guys open 362 00:21:24.440 --> 00:21:28.079 yeah yeah. 363 00:21:26.920 --> 00:21:32.039 And they single covered Barrian Brown. They gambled and it 364 00:21:32.119 --> 00:21:32.880 cost him the game. 365 00:21:34.200 --> 00:21:38.440 Well, I'm gonna be honest if if it's a if 366 00:21:38.440 --> 00:21:40.880 you put the gamble word on them, they gambled pretty 367 00:21:40.960 --> 00:21:43.599 much eighty percent of the game. They put those those 368 00:21:43.640 --> 00:21:46.319 they put their corners on an island the entire game. 369 00:21:46.359 --> 00:21:50.920 But that's also why they could play the TAPO style defense. 370 00:21:50.960 --> 00:21:53.359 They're playing those I'm gonna say this give I'm gonna 371 00:21:53.359 --> 00:21:55.839 give so much credit Omens defense because I was like, 372 00:21:55.960 --> 00:21:58.839 I'm not sure what they are, but that front seven 373 00:21:59.000 --> 00:22:02.880 is we are played three really good fronts having defensive 374 00:22:03.079 --> 00:22:05.640 to start to see it because those guys are flying around. 375 00:22:05.680 --> 00:22:06.839 They're legit, aren't they? 376 00:22:07.440 --> 00:22:11.000 Yeah, they are. They are really a really good defense. 377 00:22:11.160 --> 00:22:15.559 And now I understand why why their fans saw them 378 00:22:15.640 --> 00:22:20.200 being a potential national champion because they bought. They bought 379 00:22:20.279 --> 00:22:22.079 a great defense with the nil. 380 00:22:22.480 --> 00:22:27.960 But that said, Kentucky grinds out these long drives, not 381 00:22:28.079 --> 00:22:31.400 every time, but on more than one occasion and force 382 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:35.000 that defense to stay on the field for fifteen plays 383 00:22:35.039 --> 00:22:37.440 at a time. Man, that was huge, wasn't it. 384 00:22:38.319 --> 00:22:41.039 And that was that was the calling card. And I'm 385 00:22:41.039 --> 00:22:45.039 gonna say this because I know that they keep getting 386 00:22:45.119 --> 00:22:49.599 hawked up on that old line. Since the Southern and 387 00:22:49.680 --> 00:22:53.680 since South Carolina game has start to jail a little 388 00:22:53.680 --> 00:22:56.799 bit every week, they have played a little bit better 389 00:22:57.119 --> 00:23:00.160 and they are not going against cupcake defenses. They'll play, 390 00:23:00.440 --> 00:23:02.279 like I said, I'm gonna say, the three of the 391 00:23:02.319 --> 00:23:07.079 best defenses in the conference. They have played really tough defense, 392 00:23:07.240 --> 00:23:11.920 and they're falling away to put together enough consecutive players 393 00:23:11.960 --> 00:23:14.319 in a row to keep the ball moving down the 394 00:23:14.319 --> 00:23:17.680 field and progressive. They're also not getting enough. 395 00:23:17.519 --> 00:23:23.039 Credit matriculating the ball down the field as they say, 396 00:23:23.079 --> 00:23:25.279 all right, well, let's double back to your first point, 397 00:23:25.839 --> 00:23:30.200 because I was concerned that what happened on that first 398 00:23:30.279 --> 00:23:33.960 drive against the Kentucky defense, what happened you know, a 399 00:23:33.960 --> 00:23:36.640 whole day like everybody else. I mean, they just zipped 400 00:23:36.680 --> 00:23:38.960 it right down the field. And I thought to myself, 401 00:23:38.960 --> 00:23:40.640