5.16: The News H2

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
It's time for coffee and company, fueled by Thornton's on
Sports Talk seven nine day. Now here's Nick Coffee.

Speaker 2 (00:18):
If you are just now joining us, you'll never believe this.
But in the first hour, I once again was not
was not at my best when it comes to clock management,
which is why we h we had to make a
decision and thanks to the one and only radio Rick Ryder,
who made the right call. We had gone too long.
Better off to just double up those breaks and finish
strong and have you know, two hours where I'll have

(00:40):
more opportunities to, you know, improve when it comes to,
you know, getting break whenever, whenever, whenever I'm supposed to.
But at least today maybe you'll understand that that it
was a little bit more difficult to do because I
did start the show by sharing some news that I'm
I'm really excited about. And I'll try my best to
condense this much more, making much more shorter than than

(01:01):
than what we had in the first first segment in
the three o'clock hour. But I went on this morning
with Tony Cruz on news Radio eight forty whas and
he introduced me as the new host to take over
for him as the host Town Kentucky had his morning
news when he retires at the end of this month.

Speaker 3 (01:18):
So that is the news.

Speaker 2 (01:20):
After roughly just under ten years here at seven ninety
I I'll be moving on, and I'm excited. I mean,
I'm thrilled for the opportunity. Still can't believe that I
have this opportunity, and I'm gonna do my best to to.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
Make it work.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
Right with an opportunity like this, I mean, I'm gonna
do everything. I'm gonna make it work or die try.
And that'll h That's really kind of my mindset. So
it'll be a different job. Honestly, I'm still working in broadcasting,
still working for the same company. However, you know, a
much different type of radio show. And again, despite it
being different, it's exciting to me. It's going to be

(01:58):
a challenge, but I am very much looking forward to it.
There are many of you that have said on the
text line since I shared this last hour that you
really never envisioned me wanting to do anything other than
talking about sports, which I hear you. I'm kind of
the same way. I never really even had thought about
it until it was put on my radar well over

(02:19):
a year ago that like maybe down the line when
Tony gets to retirement, would would you be considered would
you consider doing something like that if the opportunity was there.
And at the time, I was thinking, well, you know,
that's a big opportunity. That's that's clearly calmbing up the ladder,
you know, in this industry that is broadcasting in radio.

Speaker 3 (02:37):
But you know, how would it work?

Speaker 2 (02:38):
And over time, you know, reflection, I realize I've I've
grown up and you know, you don't have to. I
don't act like sports talk is just for people who
aren't grown up, because you know that's not the case
really at all. But over time, I you know, I
now realize I do have interest and I really do
enjoy talking about things that aren't just sports. You know,

(02:59):
I have thoughts on things that are very important that
have nothing to do with sports, that of course other
people are interested in as well. And you know, the
news talk format is a big opportunity. And again we're
talking about eight forty whas a legendary station, not only
in this market when it comes to radio, but in
the region and really just in talk radio in general.
So that is the news I'll be finishing up these

(03:22):
next two weeks here and as far as what becomes
of this time slot on this station, I really don't
have a clue and I'm not really entitled to know,
but certainly if they do give me some information to
pass along at some point, I will let you know,
and I'll at least let them know what I think
could work and hope they would consider. But you know,
if they don't, that's their call, not mine, and they

(03:44):
know way more about what goes into those decisions than
I do. So when I do have information, I'll let
you know. But what I'm going to do now is
just make the most out of out of these last
couple of weeks, which you know I I mean and
when I say it, I grew up really not knowing
a whole lot of what like sports radio was. I've

(04:07):
told this story before, but like my first memory of
hearing people talking about sports on the radio was on
news radio eight forty whas and I was probably when
I was in the car with my dad or my
mom and they had HS on, and it was Lochlan
McClain or Tony Cruz, probably Tony at the time when
I was younger, talking about the big stories in sports

(04:27):
and I just remember thinking like I didn't. I never
knew it was a thing to where you could talk
about Louisville in Kentucky, basketball and football on the radio
like this is cool. It introduced me to you know, really,
I guess talk radio in general. And then when I
was about seventeen, eighteen years old, I suppose around that

(04:47):
time when I had my first car. It was a
Ford Escort ZX two. It's just an Escort, but I
would tell people ZX two and they would like, what's that?
That sounds like? That sounds fancy? And it was just
a specific version of a Ford Escort. It wasn' anything crazy,
but you know, it was my first car, and I
would listen to AM radio. Friends would get in the
car and be like, what what is your radio broke?

Speaker 3 (05:06):
What is this? This? This isn't music, This isn't you
know what is this?

Speaker 2 (05:10):
So at that point I realized what seven ninety was.
And I remember listening to the app Juno Underdogs with
Tony ven Eddie and Adam Neft and thinking, man, this
is this is cool. They're talking about you know, the
local teams that I you know that I care a
lot about, mostly Louisville and you know, obviously they would
talk Kentucky as well, and fans would call in, and

(05:31):
I just I kind of fell in love with the whole,
you know, culture of local sports talk radio. And then
I got a chance to listen to Joby and Denny
and how great it was to hear those guys tell stories.
And that's really when I got to listen more to
Dave Jennings and to Tony Cruz when they sort of
quarterback that show. And then I really fell in love

(05:52):
with the Jim Rome Show, just because that was a
different world as far as understanding the entertainment component that
comes with with sports radio.

Speaker 3 (06:00):
And I mean, I just I was hooked. I loved it.

Speaker 2 (06:03):
It helped me get through drives, It helped me get
through you know, work days, depending upon you know what
time of the year it was. And there was no
podcasting at this point, so you know, you would uh,
you know, you you you'd only listen live and that
was really the only way you could get it. But
I I fell in love with it without any any
even thought or dream, Hey, that's what I want to do,

(06:24):
because I didn't even know what you what, how you
would even get into something like that to be honest
with you.

Speaker 3 (06:29):
So I was hooked.

Speaker 2 (06:31):
And then I decided to you know, create a website
and just give my own perspective as a fan about
the team I love and I'm and probably overly obsessed with.
And that's and that's U of L. And then podcasting
became some somewhat of a thing. And then I got
an opportunity to uh to work in local radio here
in this market by a great friend UH named Dugan Ryan,

(06:54):
who you know first gave me the opportunity. And I
realized right away that I wasn't necessarily just doing because
it was cool to talk about my team like I
really liked it. I really, you know, I wanted to
do I wanted to just get repetition. I would do shows.
And if you had told me nobody was listening, I mean,
I still would have wanted to do it because I
wanted to get better at it. I wanted to you know,
I guess, cut my teeth if you will in what

(07:16):
this is. So you know I care so this station specifically,
I mean again, it's what introduced me to what this is.
It was always a dream to ever get an opportunity
to be on this specific station and now that I'm
you know, just under ten years here in three different
day parts from middays to mornings to now afternoons. You know,
I think it's something that I try not to never take.
I try to never take it for granted. Live in

(07:38):
the moment, because it could be gone at any moment.
You just never know when your last show is going
to happen. So because of that, it's kind of hit
me as I'm making this move to eight forty whas
that wow, like, what a what an awesome run it was.
And I don't mean to say like it was super
successful or anything like that. I mean hopefully it was.
It clearly was good enough to where they didn't get
rid of me. But just to be able to have

(07:58):
the opportunity like it has been a dream come true.
And I suppose what I was able to do with
you know, this opportunity here has somehow gotten me another
opportunity that I'd be foolish to pass up on, and
that is taking over for Tony Cruz on news Radio
eight forty whas. So I'm not gonna get sappy and
emotional at least now, but maybe it'll happen here and

(08:20):
there because I just I love this station. I always
will and it's not dying. I mean, it's not going anywhere.
It's still going to be here, but I won't be
a part of it like I have been for every
day for a huge chunk of my life. And that's also,
I guess what's kind of hit me in the feels
as I got ready this week to have this news
put out there and tried to figure out, you know,
my thoughts and how I wanted to talk about it

(08:42):
with you guys. But you know, I'm thirty six, so
I'm not like super young, but I'm also not you know,
I don't know what I am. I'm in that in
between range. I'm not young, but I'm not old, right,
But you know, ten years roughly, I mean, that's a
big part of that's a big part of somebody's life, right,
And I think regardless of how old you how how
long you live, ten years is not a small amount

(09:04):
of time.

Speaker 3 (09:04):
Really for anybody.

Speaker 2 (09:05):
I wouldn't think, And I've had about that amount of
time here doing something that again every day is kind
of a times it felt like a dream. So I'm
going to make the most out of the time that
we have left and will continue to keep it really
whatever it has been. And I've always struggled for a
long time at really telling people kind of this, this

(09:26):
what the experience is of Coffee and Company, because obviously
we do talk sports. We talk a lot about the
local teams. Clearly I'm a Louisville fan, but I think
it'd be foolish of me to do a show and
just ignore the rival. It'd be foolish of me to
do a show and not at you know, I can
clearly let you know where my allegiance is, and I'm
all U of l and I hope you can't lose

(09:47):
this because they're the rival. But I'll also be willing
to acknowledge and always have been that, you know, if
they're good, I got to say it. Why would I
lie to myself and anybody else that's not going to
be good. I think to obtain listeners when I'm saying
things that, like we all know, is not true, just
to do the right so you know, I still here.
We are not sure exactly how to describe what this
experience is, but it's fun to me, and clearly those

(10:09):
of you listening have probably been listening here and there.
I would hope for a long time, and I appreciate
you greatly, I really do. So, yeah, that's that's the news.
If you missed it earlier that you know, some people
on the text line or and even on Twitter asking
the new what was the news?

Speaker 3 (10:24):
Well, that was it.

Speaker 2 (10:25):
I'm leaving here after the end of this month. My
last show here for Coffee and Company will be May
the thirtieth, two weeks from today, and then June second,
I've got an early early wake up call that will
then be my everyday wake up call for hopefully a
long long time. But you know, I did I did

(10:45):
say that to Tony this morning. You know, there's no
way that ever gets easy, right, Like you never do
you ever get used to just your alarm clocks going off.
And I mean, look at there's people who get up
every day at eight o'clock and that's something they dread,
right because you know, when you sleep, you want to sleep.

Speaker 1 (10:59):
Sleep.

Speaker 2 (11:00):
It ends a beautiful thing. But I don't I would
imagine it's a little bit more difficult whenever you look
at the clock and realize it's you know, you just
went to bed a few hours ago, which that's gonna
be My biggest adjustment is I can't keep staying up
till midnight or later because that would.

Speaker 3 (11:13):
Be a disaster.

Speaker 2 (11:14):
But yeah, I had the seven to ten shift here
on the station for a long time, and I really
did enjoy that. I really loved that and actually missed
that more than I thought of it as far as
just that that platform of morning drive radio. But I
knew right away once I started coming in every day
that I wasn't gonna get any sympathy from that crew

(11:34):
with Tony and Scott Fitzgerald and Will Clark and those guys,
because as I'm you know, wiping the sleep out of
my eyes as I walk into our studios over there
off Bishop Lane, these guys have already been on the
air for you know, over an hour, and they've already
been up for you know, four hours. So it's it's
it's much different now.

Speaker 3 (11:52):
Rick.

Speaker 2 (11:52):
I know you have filled in on all of our
shows across all of our stations here at iHeart Louisville.
I mean three would you have when you come in
to produce? I don't know how far your commute is,
but like what would be like if you became Not
to say you would ever sign up for it, because
you know, you know you wouldn't want it. I'm sure
you got to you don't want to wake up that early.
But if you were to be filling in for a week, like,

(12:12):
what time would you set your alarm?

Speaker 4 (12:14):
If I was doing the early morning.

Speaker 3 (12:16):
Yeah, five am start time, I.

Speaker 4 (12:18):
Would get up at three o'clock in the morning. God,
I usually tried to go. I usually aimed at going
to bed at nine or nine thirty. But you know,
it's hard for me to try to fall asleep that
early in the evening, So I really would.

Speaker 3 (12:35):
Here not off till after ten. Yeah, I'm with you,
And I always made.

Speaker 4 (12:40):
It a point once it was over with and I
got home to lay down and take a nap for
a couple of hours. That really, that really energized me
to do that.

Speaker 2 (12:49):
So I'm glad you said that, because I I'm not
a napper. I have a tough time falling asleep in general,
which I'm sure I won't now that I'm going to
be getting up so early, which will be good. It'll
just be natural that I need to just lay down
and go to sleep or I'm going to fall over.
But when it comes to naps, like I think there's
been studies that show. You know, you got to find
a sweet spot as far as the time of your nap,

(13:12):
meaning not during what time of the day, but like
how long you sleep, and everybody's is probably different to
where like if I was to take a nap and
I slept for like, you know, three and a half
four hours, I would wake up probably grumpy. I would
probably look around, like what planet am I on? What happened?
How did I fall asleep for that long? And you know,
I usually I've never felt better after a nap, which

(13:33):
has always kept me from wanting to take them. But
like it'll probably be pretty pretty routine to where I
can get just enough shut eye to where I've energized
myself to finish the day. And that way, when I
do have you know, like dinner in the evening with
the family at six o'clock, I'm not falling over. So
there'll be some adjustments on my end. But yeah, I'm
with you, Rick, I think just the in everybody's lifestyle

(13:54):
is different. Everybody's you know, it's different. But for me,
it's never really at any point in my adult life
for sure that I would be like an early bedtime.

Speaker 3 (14:03):
Guy, right exactly.

Speaker 2 (14:04):
I mean when I went from when I went from
mid days to two mornings. I remember thinking, okay, well,
you know, now I do have to get up earlier
than I was when my show started at noon. But
I really never adjusted my like I've never at any
point adjusted my sleep schedule as far as when I
go to bed. Now, clearly I got less sleep when
I was on in the mornings, but I was able

(14:26):
to adjust and I was fine. But now, I mean,
I'm gonna it's gonna work itself out regardless of what
I want to do. If I still try to, you know,
go to bed at midnight, but I'm getting up at three,
there'll be no decision about how late you're staying up.
I'm going to pass out. That's that's what's gonna happen.
And I filled in for about three or four days

(14:47):
during the holiday season, which was when really whenever I
I guess, I was without knowing, and I was I
guess on a trial run around that time, and it
was fun. I really enjoyed it. But I didn't make
any big adjustments because it wasn't at that point. It
was just you know, one off, two off thing. It
wasn't like it was some big change, but Man, I
remember thinking like, oh, this isn't bad. It's like two o'clock.
I'm like, I feel fine, Like I wouldn't even if

(15:09):
I didn't. You know, you could convince me I didn't
even get up at three o'clock or three thirty or
whatever it was. But man, once I got to like
six thirty seven o'clock, I was a zombie. Like I'm
just I'm just sitting in It's almost like I was
just so mentally got there that I couldn't fall asleep.
I was just truly checked out in zombie land. So
I'll try on my end to make some adjustments to

(15:30):
make it easier, but some of these things are just
going to work themselves out, because you know, your body
can't run on such little sleep.

Speaker 4 (15:36):
So well, when I was in top forty radio back
in the seventies and eighties, I worked at a couple
of stations where I did the all night show, and
that was that was a shift I never got used to.

Speaker 3 (15:47):
How long did you do that?

Speaker 4 (15:48):
Oh gosh, I did the all night show at one station.

Speaker 2 (15:53):
I could pick your brain on this forever, just because
that's such a different world now, you know.

Speaker 4 (15:56):
Yeah, I did the all light show at one station
for about two years, and that was like getting in
in the station like about.

Speaker 3 (16:04):
Eleven o'clock at night. Oh man, I had to.

Speaker 4 (16:06):
Do production before I actually went on the air, got
off the air at six, and I was just too
wild up to just go home and go to bed.
So I'd go home and maybe turn the TV on
and watch the early TV news shows for an hour.

Speaker 3 (16:24):
Or so, kind of decompressed.

Speaker 4 (16:26):
Yeah, and then I'd finally get to bed and I'd
sleep till maybe two or three in the afternoon. But
the thing about the all night show for me was
I always still felt tired no matter whether I.

Speaker 3 (16:39):
Got it was a constant. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (16:41):
I could get eight ten hours of sleep sleeping during
the day, and I'd get up and I'd still be tired.

Speaker 2 (16:46):
So yeah, that to me tells me that I'm sure
everybody's different. But like I think if I was doing
a third shift kind of situation like that, like I
don't know if you ever adjust to word. It just
seems like you're always at any moment you feel like
you're tired of you could just lay out and go
to sleep, and that's that's not a great feeling. I
wouldn't think to have, you know, to have NonStop But yeah,

(17:06):
that was a that was a much different time.

Speaker 3 (17:09):
And I I mean, I.

Speaker 2 (17:11):
You know, I obviously have not worked in broadcasting in
radio whenever those kind of shows existed in that format
in the seventies and eighties. But you know, I'm still
a nerd for it in a way, like I read
about it. I you know, I'm I'm a nerd for it.
So I h I forgot that that was even kind
of a thing back in that day. Now when it
comes to I think what you said is is is

(17:32):
what I experienced whenever I was on in the mornings
from seven to ten. You know, sometimes I would have
a night where I didn't get much sleep, and I knew, okay,
all right, let's go get a let's go get a
good show in as best we can, and then you know,
just know, I've got a little bit of time where
I can go home and get a few hours sleep.
But once you just get done probably with a lot
what I guess it depends on kind of what you
do for work. But certainly when you're in radio, you're on,

(17:54):
like you always have to be on. Therefore it's not
it's not routine to just call it a day at
you know, nine am, and then go to bed like it.

Speaker 3 (18:02):
You know.

Speaker 2 (18:02):
That's why it would try take me a little while,
so again it'll be an adjustment, but really really looking
forward to it, all right. So coming up here on
the other side, we'll talk about the breakdown as far
as how the ACC is going to distribute the TV
revenue with the new rev sharing model, which I mean,
I'll believe it when I see it, but it does
seem I feel like this could be something for the
first time in a long time, maybe the first time ever,

(18:24):
where the ACC is a trendsetter and they are in fact,
you know, doing something that other conferences will will also
want to do. So we can get into that. And
it seems as if just as there was momentum for
Nick Saban after talking to Donald Trump to really, you know,
be the leader of this Commission on College Sports, and

(18:45):
you know, I think Saban would be fit for for
the position more than most, but clearly he is somewhat biased.
He's been at Alabama for a long time, and I
think it would be unnatural to expect Nick Saban to
not have some type of favoritism for Alabama and the
SEC and that's not a care flaw, that's just I mean,
it's human nature. So with all that said, now that
there's been some push to have some other representation, Cody Campbell,

(19:08):
the guy who's a billionaire now after selling his oil company,
and he's the big booster for Texas Tech, you know,
it sounds as if maybe Saban is saying, we don't
need this Commission on College Sports because it will it
will do what needs to be done, which is, you know,
representation from you know, more than just the big ten

(19:28):
in the SEC. I mean, I don't know who it
would be, but someone to sort of oversee the Commission
on College Sports as Trump labeled it, someone to do
that that is absolutely neutral. They don't have a deep
connection or affiliation with a specific school and a specific
conference because I mean, again, a lot of times it's

(19:51):
viewed as a criticism, a real flaw if you are
you know, if you're not totally objective. But human nature
makes it to where it's impossible for people to not
let the human element get in the way one way
or the other. Like some people will be so aware
of like hey, I don't want to show favoritism towards

(20:13):
this league, or this team because you know I have
a connection. So then they'll mo to over to really
make up for that. They'll end up doing something that
you know is anti their affiliation more so because they're
overthinking it. So again, it's hard to find people that
are completely neutral objective to where there's no agendas. But
that's what's needed here for the Commission on College Sports

(20:34):
and the college Football playoff, so we can get into
that and a lot more. Keep it locked right here
on Sports Talk seven ninety.

Speaker 1 (20:58):
Now back to Coffee and Company fueled by Thornton's on
Sports Talk seven nine day.

Speaker 2 (21:11):
That's all right, we're about about halfway through here on
a Friday afternoon, getting you set for the weekend. Coffee
and Company fueled by Thornton's. Make sure you keep Thornton's
in mind for a variety of reasons. But I will
always always advocate to try their breakfast items if you
have not yet. They've got the bakery back open. They're
making fresh, delicious doughnuts and they are amazing. But I

(21:34):
don't still don't know if there's enough love for the sausage,
egg and cheese croissan at Thornton's. It's one of the
best breakfast sandwiches you can find, and I hope you
try it out if you haven't, because I think you'll
like it. So again, we are fueled by Thornton's And
if you want to text in on the Ellen and
Federal Credit Union text line, you can do that FIBO
two four three eight ninety seventy three members get more
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(21:55):
and open your account today at LLENFCU dot com. So
two different texts have come in that are kind of
the same question, and I don't have an answer for you, unfortunately.
But obviously the situation with Ali Khalifa being denied a
fourth year of eligibility. You know, the more that that
story was out there, the more national reaction you got.

(22:17):
And I don't want to mislead you, is if it's
become one of the biggest talking points in college basketball.
That's not the case, but it does seem as if
nobody can make any sense of the nc doubleak the
making a legitimate case that he's not worthy of playing
a fourth year given his situation, and that probably shouldn't
change my you know, my outlook on it. And what

(22:38):
I mean by that is I don't want to give
my hopes up. I hope that the NCAA does the
right thing and they realize that of all people to
to to really stick it to and not give them
the opportunity to have a fourth year. Like, what about
his situation in any way makes him somebody that they would,
you know, ruin his career. I mean, that's that's essentially
what they would do. So the we'll see. I mean again,

(23:01):
I'm hopeful because of common sense, But the NCAA has
done a lot of things, made a lot of bad
decisions over the years that nobody can make any sense
out of. Therefore, you know, maybe they do in fact
lack common sense from top to bottom. But here's what's just,
you know, you say it out loud, and it's like
what his five year clock started in a year that

(23:22):
nobody had held against them when it comes to eligibility.
Nobody guys who played thirty plus games that year in
twenty twenty twenty twenty one, that didn't count. But Allie's
clock starts in that year when he didn't play a second. So,
I mean, what has me feel and confident is just

(23:45):
knowing how insanely stupid the decision was initially, and surely
they'll look at it and realize that they made a
mistake and that they you know, they need to make
make it right.

Speaker 3 (23:58):
So that's the hope, and I do leave.

Speaker 2 (24:00):
You know again, I'm just just guessing like anybody else,
but I think that it'll it'll get worked out. I
guess more than anything, you worry about the timing because
you just never know when the NCAA is going to
do anything right. They're unpredictable in a variety of ways.
But more than anything timing. I mean, it's almost criminal
as to what Louisville Basketball had to go through during

(24:21):
the process of their last NCUBA investigation. And I don't
mean like because they were, but the time make no sense.
It is you as an organization, as an entity, have
no justification in any way for it to be a
what I mean four or five How long did it
take to get closure on the NCAA case with Brian Bowen.
I mean, we had a coach come here and coach

(24:41):
for three and a half years, and it was ongoing
when he arrived, and when he left there was still
no closure. I mean, that might have been one of
the last interviews I had with coach mac at the
ACC basketball media day going into I guess it was
his final season, you know, And I I asked a
question that now that I think about it, it really was.

(25:02):
It wasn't a good question, but I said, did you
think there was any point did you think at any
point that you'd be this far into your time at
Louisville and there still would be no closure and it
would be just hovering over the program, the uncertainty about
a punishment, And he just I think you might have
answered before I finished the question. He said, how could
you who would like who would think that it would
take that long? So you never know when they're going

(25:25):
to do anything, and they're not really held to any
type of standard as far as what they have to
do as far as a timeline. So that's I guess
my worry. But as of now, he is still cleared
to do everything but playing games. So I would hope
it's sooner that they get a resolution and that he's
able to play. But if it does, you know, somehow
linger into when the fall semester starts, he'll still be

(25:49):
able to practice and be a part of the team.
But man, like, if you're Pat Kelsey, you know, not
only do you want your guy, but you want you know,
you don't want to be I don't want to say
cater things around Khalifa because I don't know if you
would do that. But like he's going to be a
very very interesting piece for this team, just given the
rare player that he is. He's seven foot tall, has

(26:09):
lost a ton of weight, which has got to help
him in every way. But like he's a phenomenal passer
and he's a good shooter too, by the way, Like
he's seven foot and even though he's lost weight, he's
got a decent frame on him. Yet where he really
stands out is passing and shooting, not what you typically
see from you know, seven footers, but that's who he

(26:30):
is as a player.

Speaker 3 (26:30):
So hopefully they get it figured out.

Speaker 2 (26:33):
But again, the timing is just it's it's anybody's anybody's guests.
Sticking with n SAA eligibility, there was a big setback
for I believe what is around about one hundred and
forty college basketball players that were clearly out of eligibility,
no justification as to why they should still be able
to play, other than just saying we're hopeful that the

(26:55):
NAA decides to give everyone five years instead of four, So.

Speaker 3 (27:01):
You know, it became.

Speaker 2 (27:02):
An embarrassing thing in my opinion. I guess there's no
harm in trying, but like there's an element to it
that I think you all understand what I mean when
I say this, Like it's kind of sad that, like
it's over. Your college careers has come to an end.
You've played four some five years. Why are you entering
the portal it's over? Like there's an element that's like sad,

(27:24):
as if they're not ready to start life or they're
just like in denial that their career has come to
an end, and it would be a pretty tough thing
to deal with, especially if you don't know what comes
next and you don't have any opportunities to play pro ball.
But man, when I just kept seeing there was like
a two or three day window where every time you'd
refresh social media, there'd be a report of another player

(27:45):
entering the portal. Only did then everybody realize, how in
the world would this guy have any more eligibility. It's
like the guy who you know right after high school,
he's still shown up to every high school football game.
We're in his letterman jacket. I mean, if you're there
to the team, then that's good man. You got pride
in the program you played for. But like there's a

(28:05):
line right, like are you doing that or are you
still trying to, you know, not accept the fact that
your time has come to an end. So with all
that said, it would almost be silly to not at
least put I mean, what's the harm other than maybe
some embarrassment. But if it did work out and you
got a chance to go play college basketball, if you
were a good player, you probably had a chance to
make a lot of money. So I guess there's really
no harm in that. But anyways, all these guys who

(28:28):
put in for more eligibility, most of them without really
any justification. There was a judge that recently denied. If
you remember Ante Brazovic, that's the guy who played for
Pad at Charleston, and then when Chris Mack took over
at Charleston, he decided to stay. He was the player
of the year in that conference in Pat's last season
at Charleston, really good player last year. His argument was

(28:49):
that he played one year of Division two basketball and
then he played three years of Division one basketball. His
argument was that the Division two year should not be
held against him, which I guess, good try. But like
the reason that the JUCO loophole was created is that

(29:09):
the Vanderbolt quarterback Diego Pavia his argument and it does
make sense. I don't know if it's I don't know
if it's right, but like, he has a point. How
could the NC DOUBLEA claim you've used four years of
eligibility when you've only been under their umbrella at an
NCAA institution for four years Because the junior college level
is a different entity than the NC DOUBLEA. So that

(29:31):
was a good argument and it worked, but that's the
NCAA Division two level is still still NABA. So the
judge denied him, which it sounds as if like the
others now don't have because here's the thing. If he
would have won, that would have led to the NCUABLEA
having to give a blanket waiver to everybody pretty much.

(29:53):
I mean, that's what happened with Diego Pavia when he won.
It led to every JUCO player knowing, hey, we can
hire a lawyer and will we'll get this figured out
to where we can take advantage.

Speaker 3 (30:02):
Of this too.

Speaker 2 (30:02):
So the NAA said, look, for the time being while
we figure this out what we're gonna do. Everyone whose
eligibility was running out this year, and one of those
years was JUCO, you now get an extra year, which
that's how Jamon Hadley is able to come back and
play for Louisville next year. That's how Cason Pryor technically
has two years of eligibility left because he got a

(30:23):
medical red shirt last year and he has this extra
year from JUCO. Now I guess maybe he doesn't because
as we now learned that the five the five year
clock you get five years to play four seasons, is
technically still in place because they're enforcing it with Khalifa. So,
you know, not a surprise, but all of those athletes
who are just trying to hold out hope that a

(30:43):
lawsuit would win and they could just take advantage of it,
it sounds as if that's not that's not going to happen,
which you know, I.

Speaker 3 (30:49):
Think that's the right decision, I really do.

Speaker 2 (30:52):
All right, let's see, the ACC did something that I
think was a good decision.

Speaker 3 (30:59):
One of the only things.

Speaker 2 (31:01):
You could realistically do that would end the fighting between
the conference and two schools, Clemson and Florida State, and
I think it's it's innovative. I think you'll see other
conferences down the line maybe looking at doing the same thing.
And that is basically getting to eat a little more
of what you kill, if you know what I'm saying, right,

(31:22):
Because for so long, these these grant of rights deals
have been an equal share for everybody. And I think
what's happened here is that the ACC realized, all right,
we realize we actually do have a good Like here's
the thing. The ACC had Florida State and Clemson by

(31:42):
you know what, they signed an agreed to what was
put in place. Now, had they realized that, like no
other conference is going to sign something that is in
place until twenty thirty six, like a twenty year thing,
like that's just insane. In general, Swafford is an ACC
legend by those that you know of the ACC. But
that guy's the one who actually put the league in

(32:02):
such a tough spot because who would lock into twenty
years no adjustments whenever you realize clearly things are going
to evolve a big amount of money in you know,
twenty sixteen is gonna not be as much money in
two thousand and thirty six, So any other deal that
has been signed in the modern era as far as

(32:23):
Grant rites with these conferences, it's been like seven years max.
This one was twenty years max. And that's what they
needed to do in order, I guess, to get They
were so desperate to catch up with the SEC with
the network, meaning you have your own station within the
ESPN family of networks that is dedicated to your conference,
and they just they sped up more so than they
needed to in my opinion, and it just I mean,

(32:44):
because the more you look at it, like who would
agree to this, well, the desperation to keep up with
the Joneses and you know, have the network like the
SEC did. But you know, you're not the SEC. And
we've since we probably knew that then and now we've
certainly learned it. But when it comes to value, you're
just not that. So here's what they're doing. Under the
new revenue sharing model the ACC is going to they're
going to distribute forty percent of the TV deal money

(33:06):
evenly among the league's fourteen non expansion members. So keep
in mind that means smu cal and Stanford they're not
getting this yet.

Speaker 3 (33:18):
I don't think.

Speaker 2 (33:18):
I don't know what their situation is. I mean, SMU
joined the league like, oh yeah, we don't need a
d money. We got our own money. We're in Texas,
We've got billionaires that'll support us to where we can
be just fine not accepting any annual check our first
year for revenue share, which again, that's how people keep
the lights on at these schools in most places, SMU's
got funding to where they don't need the help from

(33:41):
I mean, not to take it in a different direction,
SMU is a very rare, very rare college athletics program
just because of they actually have a big alumni base
and they've had enough success and they just got endless
amounts of money, it seems so Anyways, I don't know
what their arrangement is, but they're not included in this.
So again, forty percent of the TV money going to everybody.

(34:04):
The other sixty percent will be split up based on
ratings from basketball and football games, with football, as you
could expect football football viewership carrying more weight in the
overall calculation than anything else. And I think that makes
total sense, and I understand it could set a little

(34:24):
hypocritical for me, as I've mentioned, when it comes to
TV viewership being a factor in how you get into
the playoff. That's insane and I don't think they'll end
up doing that, but like just the fact that that's
being discussed at these college football playoff meetings is a
real scary thing because what it tells me is that
they're getting closer to stepping over the line to where
they're letting you know very much directly or indirectly. It's

(34:46):
more of a popularity contest than it's ever been and
it's not about winning and losing, which to me, that
like why I play sports if that's the case, Like,
go watch professional wrestling, no offense to that, you know,
that world of pro wrestling, but like that's entertainment, but
you know, it is like people decide who's going to
be over, who's going to be mister popular and win.
So it's just to me, I'm like, why would anybody

(35:06):
even bring that up?

Speaker 3 (35:07):
But this is different.

Speaker 2 (35:08):
This is where you are truly going to be compensated
based off of what you bring in, what your value
actually is. And Clemson in Florida state understandably, so you
know they're not able to and it's thrown fault. They
signed an agreement the agency didn't have to do this,
but I'm glad they did because it to me, makes
it to where you can now you know, the lawsuits
have been dropped, and now you know you can at

(35:29):
least act like you like each other, even though we
know it's not the case. Whenever you're publicly in a
lawsuit for two years, like that's just that's a mess
that you don't want in any way. So this was
the best I guess, meeting in the middle to in
the lawsuits and also understand, yeah, despite you agreeing to it,
we understand that you know you're getting laughed like and

(35:50):
this may sound petty to some, but I believe absolutely
this is a factor.

Speaker 3 (35:55):
If you are.

Speaker 2 (35:57):
Clemson and you've got national chance being ships in the
last decade. In South Carolina, what do they have to
show for their football program in the last ten years.
I mean, it was cool when Spurrier was there because
he Spurrier. They had Jadavian Clowney, but like, you know,
they're not poverty program, but like they're not, like they've
not been Clemson, and yet South Carolina is making Bukou
money more than Clemson and will moving forward. But Clemson's

(36:20):
locked into twenty thirty six, Like that ain't cool with
you know, Clemson, I'm sure, and they don't. You know,
they don't like being looked at as somebody who's falling
behind financially. Let's look at this is a different example,
but I think it's valid. Let's look at Florida State
in Miami. They look at Central Florida not only like
little brother, but like you know, the pet in the state.

(36:44):
Like they don't they don't respect any tradition or history
from Central Florida because Central Florida didn't really even exist
as a football program when those programs Miami and Florida
State were winning national championships. Well, because the ACC's locked
in till twenty thirty six, Central Florida's now in the
Big twelve, they're gonna re up twice before the ACC would.
And there's no scenario Florida State, specifically in Miami, even

(37:07):
would sit back and not raise absolute hell knowing that
Central Florida is making more money than them. So you know, now,
if you do bring in big viewership in football specifically
and then the others basketball, I mean, that will give
you a bigger piece of the pie. So your success
will bring more viewership. Therefore you will get more, you'll

(37:28):
get a will be it.

Speaker 3 (37:29):
You will be.

Speaker 2 (37:29):
Incentivized to pull the weight of this conference. And that's
the way again, it's the way.

Speaker 3 (37:34):
It should be. So all right, let's get a quick
break out of the way. We'll come back.

Speaker 2 (37:37):
We will have a quick segment on the other side
to wrap up the four o'clock hour, and then we'll
hit the five o'clock hour. Hit the five o'clock hour
strong on a Friday, So keep it locked right here.
It's Coffee and Company feel about Thornton's on Sportstock seven
to ninety.

Speaker 1 (38:12):
Now back to coffee and Company feel my Thorntens on
Sports Talk seven nine day.

Speaker 2 (38:19):
All right, we'll have a quick segment here before we
get to the five o'clock hour. And I know it
bothers a lot of people just to see college athletes
still playing despite being you know, a lot older than
your typical college athlete. And although I do understand because

(38:39):
it's just different and it's weird, and there is a
difference in being, you know, like a grown ass man
that's twenty seven playing against a nineteen year old sophomore.
So I understand it from that aspect, but before the portal,
before nil, there is never an age requirement for eligibility. Never,
And I don't know people realize that or no. But
this story is certainly a story that you just you know,

(39:00):
are not used to seeing. Although I also wonder maybe
these things have happened, but there just wasn't so much sensitivity.
And you know, coverage of players who started their college
career later in life than eighteen years old. But Mira
Coasta Junior College, they have a player by the name
of Ramel Bethia and he yesterday announced that he's committed

(39:23):
to Green Bay. That's a smaller D one school. It's
actually where Doug Gottlieb coached, and he had a less
than successful debut season. I think he won like four games.
But this young man is actually not a young man.
He's a grown ass man. He graduated high school in
twenty thirteen, did not play basketball, and he enrolled in
the Navy right after high school. So during the time

(39:45):
of his service, he grew from six' three to six'
nine and he reached a seven foot. Four wingspan his
friends In the navy quickly urged him to pursue a
basketball career and while finishing In the navy As A
petty officer of The, third class he participated in the
twenty Twenty Two Armed Forces. Basketball championship it was the
first time he played, BASKETBALL competitively i think since like.

(40:07):
Middle school but he received attention From local california, junior
colleges and, you know he decided To post navy GO play,
juco basketball and he averaged a double double and he
quickly started GETTING some d. One interest and now he's
Going To green bay and he's thirty one. YEARS old
i mean he's not, a FRESHMAN but i mean he's

(40:30):
a thirty one year old college basketball PLAYER with i,
GUESS seemingly, i mean how many years villigibility would he
have right when it comes to when it comes TO the,
JUCO thing i mean, RIGHT now i GUESS they're sti
trying to figure out what they're going to do, long
term but, like technically given what they recently did as
far as that, blanket waiver he might be a guy

(40:50):
that is actually gonna get four fresh years because he
only PLAYED in juco for. Two seasons, so again that'll
bother a lot. Of People but i'll Remind you age
has never been a a requirement or it's never been
any part of the criteria as far. As eligibility but

(41:11):
there is a great rundown Here, on twitter A great
twitter thread that just gives you there's a lot.

Speaker 3 (41:17):
There are there's a thirty YEAR old d two player
that's that's.

Speaker 2 (41:22):
In the midst of his of his. COLLEGE career, I
mean i'm trying, to, yeah this this would. Have it
i'm trying to see, the oldest like the oldest player
in COLLEGE because I would i would think thirty one would.

Speaker 3 (41:34):
Be it but, you Know maybe. I'M wrong, i mean,
AND look I mean.

Speaker 2 (41:41):
I think, the service, you know if you were In,
the navy and that's what that's what held you up
from starting to pursue basketball. In, COLLEGE like i think
it's a little different, than just, you know somebody that's
found a way to just loophole after loophole continue to be,
eligible somehow. Some way, And yes i'm Thinking Of Chad,
baker mazarro who will be in his seventh year of,

(42:02):
college eligibility which is. Just crazy it. Really is, all
right you're crazy if you don't stick around for the
five o'clock hour Because it's friday and we're now six
minutes away from five o'clock On, a friday which is
a good time for a lot.

Speaker 3 (42:14):
Of people so we'll try to.

Speaker 2 (42:15):
Finish STRONG and i have BEEN just i have been
notified we're going to actually be out a little. Earlier
today we've had to move some stuff around with the storms.
Coming in they've made some adjustments to some, baseball games
so we actually will in the show at by, Forty
five so just be prepared for that and let's make
the most of the time we do have left right
Here On sports talk seven nine