May 21, 2025 • 37 mins
Dick Gabriel talks with Chris Fisher and Mike DeCourcy.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Good morning everybody. Dick Gaberlin for The Voice on a Wednesday,
and much to talk about, including UK sports naturally coming
up today on the Leech Report presented by Bobcat Enterprises
Chris Fisher of two four to seven Sports, there is
new recruiting news on the horizon and the great Mike
de Corsi of the Sporting News. Let's get into Wildcat
(00:23):
News of the Day presented by Giuseppes of Lexington. Go
to open Table today to make your reservation for a
special dining experience at Giuseppes. They never disappoint I recommend
the scallops, but you can't go wrong with anything in
my opinion at Giuseppes. I mentioned recruiting. Braden Hawthorne now
says he is a Wildcat. He's a four star out
(00:44):
of Huntington Prep. He is a part of the class
of twenty twenty five, fourteenth player for the Wildcats. So
it appears Mark Pope is all done putting a team
together for the upcoming season. We'll talk more, as I
said with Chris Fisher about Brad Hawthorne, but the announcement
coming late yesterday afternoon, and he is a Kentucky Wildcat.
(01:05):
Speaking of Mark Pope, he and incoming freshman Jasper Johnson
and Malachai Moreno will take part in the twenty twenty
five USA basketball Under nineteen national team training at the
US Olympic and Paralympics Center Training Center out in Colorado Springs,
Colorado that begins June fourteenth. Pope will serve in an
(01:27):
on court coaching role, of course, the freshman trying to
win a spot on the twelve player roster fourteen USA.
This is the team that will compete in the FOBA
U nineteen World Cup in Switzerland. Not a bad gig
if you can land that. This is Pope's first official
role with team USA. Malachi is going to be there
(01:48):
for the second time in training camp, and Johnson earned
a gold medal at the twenty twenty four FOEBA U
nineteen America Cup. Johnson and Marino both part of the
USA Men's Nike Hoop I'm a team earlier this spring
that beat the World Select team in overtime, So good
gigs for them. Bad day for the baseball Wildcats yesterday
(02:09):
in Hoover. Their SEC portion of their schedule now is
officially over as they fall to Oklahoma five to one
at Hoover met the Wildcats now twenty nine and twenty four,
and now they've lost four straight, dating back to the
sweep by Vanderbilt and coming out of the Oklahoma series
where the Wildcats swept, it looked like they were solid
(02:32):
with the NCA tournament. But now once again you got
to wonder, and they have to wait now until this
coming Monday. That's when the selection show is. And there
are teams Kentucky, teams that have had more wins and
not gotten into the tournament. But those teams did not play,
of course in the SEC, which is as tough as
(02:54):
it is now. Kentucky does own four series wins, including
a win down at Tennessee. But yesterday Kentucky just couldn't
get anything going to hit into three double plays did
the Wildcats, including a first inning double play with the
bases loaded. They did take a one to nothing lead
in a third on a Sooner's error, but Oklahoma bounced
(03:16):
right back with a two run homer attacked on three
more runs and the Wildcatch has beat the ball into
the turf all day long. Luke Lawrence did have a
big day, three for three. He had his eighteenth multi
hit game of the season, but Tyler Bell kept off
base twenty four game reached safely streak ends. He has though,
(03:38):
reached in fifty one of fifty three career games for
the Wildcats, but he, of course, as the leadoff man,
sets the tone and Oklahoma did a nice job keeping
him off the bases. Nine Wildcats have been named it
a twenty twenty five Track and Field All SEC Teams
following the SEC Outdoor Championships. Excuse me, that's according to
(04:00):
the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky won six medals at the SEC
Championships here in Lexingon, including three bronze, two silvers, and
one gold. Collins Kip Rope Kippin Oak headlined both the
SEC results over the weekend and the All Conference First
Team for the Cats, got his first career gold medal
in the men's three thousand meter steeplechase on Friday. In
(04:24):
the final event, broke the SEC championship and the UK
facility record. So congrats to all the medal winners for
the Wildcats. We'll take a break, come back and talk
with Chris Fisher up next here on the Leech Report.
Welcome back to the Leach Report. Dick Gabriel sitting in
for the Voice on a Wednesday. The Leach Report, presented
(04:44):
by Bobcat Enterprises for locations in Kentucky. When you need
to rent or buy heavy equipment, Google them to find
out the closest location to you. And we welcome in
Chris Fisher of the Cats Pause, part of the two
four seven network of Morning Chris, Good Morning, ser Braden
Hawthorne is a Wildcat. Were we surprised by that.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
A little bit?
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, just in the sense that I think he did.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
He did a good job as really any recruit can
do at kind of keeping things quiet and keeping things
close to the vest. I don't think he told a
lot of people. I'm not even sure Kentucky knew for sure.
I think they might have had a decent idea. But
but yeah, he kept this thing pretty tight lipped to
(05:36):
the end and surprising, if for no other reason than
Mark Pope was able to convince a top forty high
school prospect to come in and be essentially the fourteenth man.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
On his roster.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
And you know, when when Mark Pope first got started
at Kentucky, I think the concern was could he recruit
at the level you know, to sustain Canentucky as a
championship program.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
And I think the answer to that has been a
resounding yes.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
What did you think, Chris, of that assessment of Pope
or that question about Pope? Because I thought of all
the things that were said, you know, Ken he win
in the NCA tournament, come on, but I thought that
was the most ridiculous because here he had he had
been successful at Utah Valley State for crying out loud,
relatively speaking, but then at Brigham Young and to think
(06:26):
for just a nano second that he would have trouble
recruiting at Kentucky. I mean I couldn't roll my eyes
fast enough.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
How about you, Yeah, I mean, you know, Kentucky as
we've seen, you know, with you know, the the John
cal Perry stuff and him going to Arkansas, Kentucky.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Is the brand. Yeah, that is going to hold true
for for whoever.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Is the coach.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
I mean, Billy Gillespie, you know, I mean he was
able to land Patrick Patterson and Alex Legion and you
know some other highly touted players, and so, you know,
I think there's gonna be a concern anytime any coach
or player hasn't done it at the level that they're
going to and so. But I thought it was also
(07:13):
important that, you know, Mark Pope brought on guys like
Alton Brooks a third and Jason Hard, guys that had
recruited at a really high level and brought them on.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
To the staff.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
And then you know, when you look at Braden Hawthorne's quotes, yeah,
after he committed to Kentucky saying, you know, Mark Pope talked,
called and texted me more than any other coach. If
he's doing that with his fourteenth man, imagine how hard
he's recruiting the other guys. And I just think, you know,
I think it says a lot about Mark Pope's honesty,
(07:47):
his trustworthiness, his transparency to sell a top forty high
school prospect on the idea of coming in, maybe not
playing a lot of men and kind of using his
freshman year as a developmental year. I'm not sure I
see much value in red shirting him because those in
(08:08):
game reps are going to be so valuable for him
as the season goes along, and kind of picking his
spots and you know, getting that experience. Because Mark Pope
always talks about how year two is so huge for
guys in his program, and how those guys typically tend
to make a big jump from year one to year two,
(08:30):
and so having a guy in your program, even if
he doesn't have a huge role on the court, I
think it's going to be extremely beneficial for a guy
like Braden Hawthorne, who is a little bit of a
late bloomer obviously needs to get a lot stronger, but
for him to have a year in the program is
going to be huge for his development.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And that quote that Chris just rattled off was part
of the story he has at two four seven Sports
where Hawthorn City. He calls me and texts me more
than any buddy I have ever talked to in the past,
which that's pretty strong, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I just think, you know, keeping that that constant contact.
And you know, I think one of the common threads
with Mark Pope and his recruiting has been, you know, obviously,
you know, money talks, and you know, I'm sure Kentucky
spent its fair share of money in the NIL space,
but I think Mark Pope has done a really good
job of recruiting guys that genuinely want to be here
(09:29):
and genuinely want to represent the program and the state
that you know, it's important for them to chase number nine,
and so, you know, I think that's a that's refreshing
compared to, you know, the last fifteen years or so,
where after a while it started to feel like Kentucky
(09:51):
had become more of just a stopover on you know,
on the way to to the NBA.
Speaker 6 (09:59):
Right, So.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
It's it's been refreshing for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Well, and you know, you allude to the nil it
doesn't have to be a stop over anymore, and we're
seeing that at play right now with the Otago Ohway,
who has a terrific fallback plan if he comes back
to Kentucky, terrific in terms of dollars and cents.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Right, Yeah, I mean I would I would certainly expect
otakea oh Way to make double, maybe even triple at
Kentucky next season, more than what he would on a
two way contract in the NBA. Kind of being you know,
jettison back and forth from the NBA to the G League.
And you know, I think he had a very solid
(10:39):
showing at the NBA Draft combine, but I think NBA
decision makers are just wanting to see him kind of
extrapolate that, you know, out over the course of another
season at Kentucky, which I think you know Mark again,
Mark Pope talks about that year two jump. If we
see that from otega Oway all of a sudden, I
(11:00):
think you're you know, you could see a potential first
round pick develop in him next season.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah, and it's it's gonna be the kind of thing
where he's got to learn new teammates, but he's got
some older teammates, but it's going to be the Mark
Pope system, so you know, oh wait, won't be thinking
as much. He can just go and do what he
has to do on offense. And you know that's like
anything any sport, any athlete. You know, the less you
have to actually think and you can just rely on
(11:29):
muscle memory, the better off you're going to be. Plus
always going to be armed with the knowledge, same kind
of knowledge that Antonio Reeves had right to come back
and improve his game.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah, and Mark Pope talks a lot about the decision
making and you know, the processing speed, and once you've
had a year under your belt, your your processing decision
making become so much faster. And like you said, you're
not thinking as much, you're playing faster. And I think
we'll see that out of otega Oway next season. We
know he can put the ball in the basket. I mean,
(12:01):
he proved that he was Kentucky's leading scorer. I think
he scored you know, in double figures and all but
two of the two or three of the games last
season and was extremely, extremely consistent. I thought, easily Kentucky's
most consistent performer. Part of the reason because he was
able to stay healthy when some of the other guys
(12:22):
you know, had injuries over the course of the season.
But definitely a guy I could see making making a
big jump next year, even with all the added artillery
that Kentucky brought in through the through the transfer report.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Talking to Chris Fisher of two four to seven Sports
and the Cats paused guests on Leach Report coming to
you via the Club Blue nil dot com hotline. More
with Chris on the other side of the break here
on the Leach Report. Welcome back to the Leach Report.
Dick Gabriel sitting in for the Voice. A reminder, The
Leach Report, presented by Bobcat enterprises for locations in Kentucky.
(12:55):
When you need to rent or buy heavy equipment, Google
them to find the closest location to you talking to
Chris Fisher of the Cat's Pause two four seven Sports
and last night in the NBA Shay Gildas Alexander with
another big game even though he was two of thirteen
in the first half. Minnesota did a great job on
him defensively, but ok City figured it out, Chris, in
(13:16):
the second half, he had a big game. Julius Randall
had twenty in the first half and only eight in
the second for the Wolves. But you retweeted something a
couple of days ago about the fact that that huge
trade and I was talking about this on my show
the other day, that huge trade of the big men
from Minnesota to New York and vice versa, involving two Wildcats.
(13:37):
That's one of those rare deals that really paid off
for both, didn't it.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
I definitely think it made both teams better, and it
kind of felt like each respective team had kind of
maxed out what they could accomplish with both of those guys,
and then all of a sudden, you swap them and
it takes both teams to a new level and it
seems like, you know, it kind of reinvigorated Karl Anthony Towns.
(14:04):
It kind of reinvigorated Julius Randall, and they both found
homes in their new cities and taking their teams to
to a new level and to the to the conference finals.
And you know, it wouldn't surprise me at all to
see those two teams playing for you know, playing in
the NBA Finals. I mean, obviously, Oklahoma City is is
(14:25):
really really good, really talented, very good defensively, and you know,
was very decisive in their Game one win last night.
But the Wolves have been playing as good as anybody
in the playoffs, and so it wouldn't surprise me to
see them springing the upset. And then I think in
the Eastern Conference that Knicks Pacer series, which harkens back
so many you know, emotions and so back to those
(14:48):
those series that we saw in the nineties, you know,
the Hicks versus the Knicks, and you know, that'll be
a fun one to watch, and I think I could
easily see that one going you know, six or seven
games one.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Fourteen to eighty eight was the score last night with
Minnesota and OKC. And it's interesting too that those of
us who keep an eye on the former Wildcat, you
know that somebody, some Kentucky. Former Kentucky player is going
to get his first NBA title ring, right, because there's
so many former Calipari players out there on rosters.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Yeah, I think there's a total of six former Kentucky
players in these conference finals, and obviously one of those
will will come away with with the championship. But it's
also cool to see, you know, not just guys on rosters,
but guys that are contributing at a high level because
there for such a long time, it just felt like,
you know, in the NBA Kentucky head you know, kind
(15:43):
of Jamal Mashburn and you know, that was pretty much it,
and then you had Tayshan Prince there for a while.
But you know, to see the probable you know, MVP
and Shade Gojis Alexander and other guys that are you know,
leading their teams and having a prominent role in these
playoffs is really fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I saw the graphic matching the starting lineups for the
Pacers Knicks finals in two thousand, twenty four years ago.
In the middle, of course, for the Knicks Patrick Ewing
and for the Pacers, Rick Smith's the dunking Dutchman remember him,
played at Marist College, the Red Fox's second player taken
(16:24):
in the NBA draft that year, to Danny Manning, I
know you would have remembered that. But also in that
draft that year was a young Rex Chapman who won
what eighth or ninth overall something like that, to the
very first pick of the Charlotte Hornets back then. So
that really that really takes you back. But like I said,
(16:44):
people forget how many quality players. They don't want to
think about how many quality players Cali Perry brought in
here just to just kind of dry it up after
a while, didn't it.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Yeah, And you were talking about that that Knicks Pacer
series from two thousand, I mean that is a completely
different time, came a completely different brand of basketball. You know,
games being played in the seventies, in the sixties and seventies,
I think I think I saw it was one of
the maybe the four season where the Pistons won the
(17:17):
championship and I think they beat the Pacers. I think
it was like seventy four to sixty nine or something
like that. I mean, those are that's a halftime score
in you know, today's day and age, and so it's
crazy how different the game is twenty twenty five years later.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
And rough physical stuff where you'd be suspended for five games.
Now they just picked themselves up and played on.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
So uh.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
I don't know if it was better, but it was
certainly a lot more intriguing. He is Chris Fisher of
the Cast Pass, part of the two four seven network.
Chris Fisher two four seven on Twitter. Thank you brother,
talk to you again sometime, all right, you bet? Thanks
all right, and when we come back, they're great. Mike
de Corsi of the Sporting News, not that Chris isn't
great U, but Mike, of course you will join us
here on the Leach Report. Welcome back to the Leach Report.
(18:04):
Dick Gabriel sitting in for the Voice this morning, and
we welcome in from the Sporting News Mike the Coursey.
Good morning, Mike, Good morning, Dick.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (18:13):
I'm well, sir, Thank you so much before we talk sports, basketball, football, whatever,
We like your thoughts you you. We posted some things
about the passing of George Went. We've lost Norm from
cheers and you know, it's only, as I say, seventy six,
but he was just the perfect guy for that role,
(18:33):
wasn't he.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
I was watching some of the clips and just simple
one line him walking into the bar and answering a
question from either Ted Danson or Woody Harreldson or the
gentleman who played coach.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
And I still laugh forty years later and laughed hard.
Speaker 6 (18:55):
And it's he was such a wonderful character actor.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
He did more beyond beyond norm.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
That that showed he had range as an actor. But
when you create something as iconic as norm, it's hard.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
It's hard to expand beyond that.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
He did, though, for those of us who watched Saturday
Night Live, he was the most memorable part as well
of those Chicago Bears. Uh, those those Chicago Bears sketches,
where where the Bears was was kind of presented to
the to the public and to the point where it
became such a part of the lexicon that when Chicago
(19:37):
Chicago was named Pope of the Roman Catholic Church the
Chicago Chicago.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Sun Times the headline was the hope.
Speaker 6 (19:46):
I mean, that's that's the impact George went had on
our culture.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Yeah. Yeah, And I don't know if you're aware of that.
She may be, but I heard an interview with James Burrows,
who directed so many of those Cheers episodes, maybe a
great sitcom director in television history. He created those moments,
didn't write them all, but Norm walking through the door
to the barstool, and of course it was the iconic
(20:12):
Norm moment. And then of course the scene that you
just described, a question to Norm and a wisecrack about
getting a beer. And the reason Burrows needed that was blocking.
He wanted George went to sit as you face the
camera the TV screen, on the right end of the bar,
(20:33):
not the left end. I mean, Norm could have sat
at the stool closest to the door, but as you know,
he sat at the one closest to the men's room,
the pool table, whatever. The TV and Burrows had to
get him in every episode from the door, past the
bar to the barstool. You talk about serendipity, I mean,
(20:54):
isn't that what people are going to remember Norm for
more than anything?
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Oh, I don't think there's any question.
Speaker 6 (20:59):
And as I said, they played six or eight of
those in the in in some of the tributes to
him that were on the network news and other venues,
and and and they were all hilarious. And I sat
there and laughed, and I hadn't seen any I don't
because there's so much out there to watch. I'm not
(21:20):
a rewatcher. I know there's some people who will rewatch things.
I wish I had that kind of time, but there's
so much out there that I've not not seen. I
want to see new things. So I haven't rewatched Cheers
since I watched the original run. And I don't think
I missed many episodes back in those days, even though
we were relatively new to VCRs and such. But they
(21:43):
were just hilarious that those lines that they wrote for
him were perfect. They almost never missed, and part of
it was because of his wonderful delivery.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Vc our kids, ask your parents, they'll explain it. Let's
get over it. By the way, what's shaken? All four
cheeks and a couple of chins? Coach that was one
of my favorites. Boogie flanned as we transition seamlessly into
basketball is now Florida Gator. I tried the NBA, as
we all know, the NBA waters and signed with the Gators.
(22:16):
Were you surprised by that? Mike, because he chose to
go with Caliperi to Arkansas made that choice just as
Big Z did. And now he's at Illinois, and we
all know there's plenty of money in Arkansas if it
came down to nil funds. What did you make of
that move?
Speaker 6 (22:32):
Yeah, I was a little surprised, in part because Florida
had already locked up Xavian Lee from Princeton as a
as a point guard. So what are they going to
do with Boogie? Are they going to play them both together?
I imagine?
Speaker 2 (22:50):
So? But who gets the ball?
Speaker 6 (22:52):
And when you play two point guards, you still one
still really has to be in charge. If not, it
doesn't work. So who of those two players gets to
have the ball? I think that's a real interesting question
now that Florida is going to have to answer. But
the presence of another high end guard added to the
terrific front court, presumably if Condon goes back, makes Florida
(23:17):
certainly a threat to repeat as SEC tournament champion and
as a Final four team and as a national champion.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
I think they're certainly in the mix with that.
Speaker 6 (23:28):
But I am a little surprised that he wasn't interested
in going back to Arkansas. I would imagine his experience
was frustrating because he was hurt much of the year.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
But when he got healthy, Cal embraced him and brought.
Speaker 6 (23:42):
Him right back into the lineup, right back in the rotation,
So it wasn't anything like that. I thought he had
a pretty good experience there, and I think if you
look around the NBA Playoffs, playing for Cal over the
years has usually paid off pretty well for professional prospects.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Oh yeah, I was just talking to Chris Fisher about that.
The playoffs are just dotted with guys who played under
Caliperi at Kentucky, and of course kids sit up and
take notice, and if they don't, then caliberre's going to
point that out during the recruiting process for sure. I
don't know about you, but I've talked to a lot
of people about this boogie Flann goes down injured. I
(24:18):
thought Arkansas actually moved up got better because they didn't
depend on him so much. He didn't throw him the
ball and then just sit there and watch him. And
by the time he got back, that team was playing
with so much more confidence. And then he assimilated so
much better. And that's one of the reasons I think
why they made their run. Did you see it that way?
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (24:38):
And part of that was DJ Wagner sure having to
make a step forward. It was at the point where
this was not even going to float if he didn't
get better and significantly better.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
And part of that was the ball was now his.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
I talked before about that problem that Florida will have
next year. And when the Paul became DJs, he became
a better player and instead of being kind of sometimes okay,
maybe the point guard now and then it was his
because they didn't have anybody else, and he did a
wonderful job with that.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
I'll be honest with you.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
I mean, like of all the players I've watched over
the years, there are a handful that I just said, no,
that's not there, He's not it, and then they said, oh,
yes it is.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
And DJ is very much.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
In that group. I was way wrong on him. I
had given up that he had anything really significant to
offer the Division One basketball.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
And his run in.
Speaker 6 (25:38):
Late actually February and then March proved that I had
totally miss misevaluated him. And I'll be frank, that doesn't
happen a lot.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
I agree completely. And of course at Kentucky he was
battling injuries, and in Arkansas, as I said, they got
off to that slow start, but I was right there
with you, and I was happy for him at the
end of the season. Mike the course of the Sporting News,
We'll come back and talk more hoops with Mike in
just a minute here on the Leach Report. Welcome back
(26:09):
to The Leach Report, coming to you from the Clark's
Pumpin' Shops studio, which doubles is my garage this morning.
Remember to sign up for their new loyalty rewards program, Return,
refresh and refuel at Clark's. We are talking to the
great Mike de Corsi of The Sporting News. Mike, you
have retweeted some of Andy Katz's material on x or Twitter,
including a conversation that Cats had with Mark Pope, who
(26:31):
is firmly in favor of advancing the ball after a
time out late in the game, and you are really
outspoken against that. Were you disappointed in Mark Pope?
Speaker 6 (26:43):
There aren't many things that Mark the Pope does that disappointment,
but that's one. He is a great coach and a
great guy and a great representative for UK on multiple levels,
now as an alum and obviously as the head coach.
But he couldn't be more wrong about this it's a
it's an abomination. There is no sport that says here,
(27:05):
it's too hard for you to go the full length
of the floor, so or the full length of the
playing surface, so we're gonna make it really easy for you.
The fact that the NBA says this to the best
players in the world is such an insult. It's mind boggling.
Like Lebron James can get the length of the court
if he has to, and probably could do it in
three seconds or less.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
I mean, I saw Yukon one time in a.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Conference I think it was the American Conference tournament against Cincinnati,
had zero point eight seconds and the ball on.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
A side out at the far hash, and they won
the game.
Speaker 6 (27:39):
I've seen that, and and Lebron or SGA can't do
it without having time.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Out move them to half court.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
It's the worst rule in sports. There is no logic
to it. If the game of basketball isn't exciting enough
as it is, I mean, what is.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
The logic that Mark Pope applied to it was that,
you know, and it's kind of veers away from your response.
You can get a much better, more exciting, more interesting
play if you sacrifice the time out for that what
is it, you know, forty eight feet or whatever on
(28:21):
the court. You know, it just gives you a better
opportunity for a grander finish, you know what I'm saying.
Although I'm sure you can counter with you know what's
better than working it up the court and getting a
finish like that? Right?
Speaker 6 (28:33):
Well, I mean, okay, so like just you and I'm
not and I don't think I'm being logical here. I
don't think I'm taking this too extremes.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Right what if in baseball? Okay, so we want the
great finish. So if you get you know that ghost
runner thing they do to make the game end faster.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Well, here, we're.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Gonna make it even faster.
Speaker 6 (28:50):
We're gonna bring in a batting practice pitcher to pitch
to your best hitter, and then we can have this
great finish where the guy hits it in the in
the seats that everybody walks off. I mean, that's that's
that's the logic that we're talking about. It's it's unbelievable
to me that people who love the sport of basketball
don't love it enough to see what what garbage the
(29:12):
the the advanced the ball timeout is. Here's the thing,
that really drives me that that that's the number one
thing about it, the yeah, the uh, the obliteration of
competitive logic, that's the thing that drives me craziest about it.
But the secondary thing is you don't even pay a price,
because like if if they said.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Okay, here's the deal.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
We're gonna take your time out, but you guys got
to go run a play without talking to your guys
and nobody they because you're you're getting the timeout and
the forty five feet, so you should get one or
the other at the very least, if you're gonna try
to defend this rule, you should get the timeout so
your guys can rest, or you should get the forty
five fifty feet whatever it is, and then you run
(29:56):
a play. You better have run it well in practice,
because you're not getting any hell from the sideline.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Like I don't like that rule at all, but.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
I'd like it a tiny I'd hate it a tiny
bit less if you get it that way.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
I got you oh Man worked up in an early Wednesday,
Mike the Course, what about I don't know if you
and I ever talked about this on this show? Are
on my show? What about quarters versus halves. Men's college
basketball is the last bastion of the twenty minute half.
I like the quarters.
Speaker 6 (30:27):
What do you say, Yeah, I am not necessarily a
defender of halves because we don't really have halves.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Let's be honest. I've said this for the last thirty
some years.
Speaker 6 (30:39):
We play the game in four minute chicken McNuggets. That's
what we do, and so the half thing is just
a construct. It's not really how the game goes. It
goes four minutes at a time. I don't think that
When I was a beat writer and I had to
do game stories every night, Like if I were Ben Roberts,
I would say, never go to havels because those little
(31:00):
four minute breaks you can really get a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Done so you can make your deadline.
Speaker 6 (31:05):
But for the rest of us who now like.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
I don't do that any longer.
Speaker 6 (31:09):
So I don't see the value of stopping every four minutes.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
And look, I'm in television.
Speaker 6 (31:15):
I know they got to get commercials in, but the
NBA gets plenty of commercials in in their halftime and
in the timeouts, the strategic timeouts that are called in
the quarter break.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
There's a room for commercials. I don't think.
Speaker 6 (31:27):
I've never had a television person tell me that they
couldn't figure that out if the game went to quarters.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
No, I've never I've never bought that. My logic is
reset the fouls at the end of the quarter, less
time at the free throw line. But that's a hill.
That's a hill I'm not going to die on. Just
a minute or two left with Mike, I hated you
tweeted a slab of concrete, A picture of a slab
of concrete where your commemorative brick used to be at
PNC Park in Pittsburgh. I've been there. It is a
(31:56):
wonderful ballpark. And because we were there when my beloved
Cardinals were playing, we were able to get inexpensive seats
right behind home plate and I watched Adam Wainwright I'm
thirty feet away from him pitching a one hitter. It
was a great experience in my life. But what in
the world were they thinking, Man, your brick's important.
Speaker 6 (32:16):
I tell people all the time, Dick that if they
have a favorite baseball team, whether it's the Pirates or
more likely someone else, come.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
To Pittsburgh for a weekend series.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
It's a great place to spend a few days, and
the ballpark is, if not the very best, it's one
of the two or three best in the league. It's
a wonderful experience. And I can tell you all the
cool Pittsburgh places to.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Go to eat.
Speaker 6 (32:42):
And I was really shocked at the way that story
played out, Dick, because I think, what, I don't understand
how someone could be in that business and understand, like
I tell people I said yesterday on the show, like
I can go get my Teddy Grahams at Chocolate Milk
at any store that you know is either close to
me or offers the best price on them.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
I don't have to have brand loyalty to that.
Speaker 6 (33:07):
But baseball or professional sports or college sports, they're different.
They are they are about the passion and the connection
and the history. And I got that brick around two
thousand and one because I was so happy that baseball.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Would be continuing in my hometown.
Speaker 6 (33:26):
Even though I had sort of lost affection for the
Pirates as a team or the sport. I don't I
don't have the passion for it I did before. But
it was important to me that this sport stayed here,
and so I got that brick, and so then, like
they I guess they judged that they weren't safe anymore
because the surface had gone an even and things had
(33:46):
recessed and all that, And I get that, but they
could have repurposed the bricks in a lot of different ways,
including perhaps putting them back down after they did that,
after they made corrections.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
It probably would have cost more money.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
But at the very least, you don't just say don't.
They didn't tell anyone, and then all of a sudden
they were found in.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
It up somewhere.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Yep. That's terrible.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Not the best business.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Terrible, terrible. Well, Mike, thank you for the time. Always
a pleasure, Have a great day, have a great day.
Thank you, Mike. The course here the Sporting News at TSN,
Mike on Twitter, and we'll wrap up in a minute
on the Leach Report. Welcome back to the Leach Report.
To Gabrieline for the Voice, and just a reminder that
Tom is out tomorrow as well. But I will be
(34:31):
in sitting in for Tom, no problem, and it's always
fun to sit in for Tom. He's got a lot
going on, he's got some time off and I think
today they're working on his studio, actually making some upgrades
and changes so he can't work out of his studio
at home. Hey, the Legends of the LPGA Tour coming
to Woodford County. Some of the top players in the
(34:53):
history of the tour playing in the Woodford Legends Invitational
on June seventh and eighth at the Woodford Club inver
Sales Tickets are fifteen bucks per day. Go to Woodford
Clubfoundation dot org to get details. Woodford Clubfoundation dot org
for details. Proceeds benefit KVC Kentucky. So it's gonna be
(35:16):
a big deal. It's gonna be some good golf over there,
and that we urge you to be a part of it.
A reminder that well actually our Kentucky road Show Sports
cards and memorabilia moment, this moment in UK history. Learn
more about them at Roadshowcards dot com. Birthday greetings going
out today to Josh Allen and Jamal mcglore. Those guys
(35:39):
were two of the most physical players for their respective
sports in the history of UK if you think about it,
Jamal mcglure played basketball very much like Josh Allen played football,
and his presence was missed after he left and was
part of a national championship team came down here from Toronto,
(35:59):
and in fact they recruited as coach to come with them.
But he was absolutely a physical presence for the Wildcats
and actually had a nice NBA career, made the All
Star team one year and then ended up on staff
with Toronto. With the Raptors, he may still be working
for them as far as I know. And of course
(36:20):
Josh Allen was such a joy to watch, and he
was kind of like Benny Snell. You knew they needed
a couple of yards or a touchdown, you knew the ball,
everybody the ball was going to Benny when they needed
a sack or a stop. You knew Josh Allen was
going to come through. Everybody knew it, even the team
that was trying to double team him, but he still
(36:40):
made it work. Also, a big happy birthday to a
friend of this show and my mister Mark's story from
the Herald Leader and marked a couple of interesting columns
in the Herold Leader newspaper over the weekend. We urge
you to check them out. That's going to do it
for today. My thanks to Shannon the Dude. Stay tuned
for Billy and the Dude next coming up on Most
of these stations have a great day, everybody
Good morning everybody. Dick Gaberlin for The Voice on a Wednesday,
and much to talk about, including UK sports naturally coming
up today on the Leech Report presented by Bobcat Enterprises
Chris Fisher of two four to seven Sports, there is
new recruiting news on the horizon and the great Mike
de Corsi of the Sporting News. Let's get into Wildcat
(00:23):
News of the Day presented by Giuseppes of Lexington. Go
to open Table today to make your reservation for a
special dining experience at Giuseppes. They never disappoint I recommend
the scallops, but you can't go wrong with anything in
my opinion at Giuseppes. I mentioned recruiting. Braden Hawthorne now
says he is a Wildcat. He's a four star out
(00:44):
of Huntington Prep. He is a part of the class
of twenty twenty five, fourteenth player for the Wildcats. So
it appears Mark Pope is all done putting a team
together for the upcoming season. We'll talk more, as I
said with Chris Fisher about Brad Hawthorne, but the announcement
coming late yesterday afternoon, and he is a Kentucky Wildcat.
(01:05):
Speaking of Mark Pope, he and incoming freshman Jasper Johnson
and Malachai Moreno will take part in the twenty twenty
five USA basketball Under nineteen national team training at the
US Olympic and Paralympics Center Training Center out in Colorado Springs,
Colorado that begins June fourteenth. Pope will serve in an
(01:27):
on court coaching role, of course, the freshman trying to
win a spot on the twelve player roster fourteen USA.
This is the team that will compete in the FOBA
U nineteen World Cup in Switzerland. Not a bad gig
if you can land that. This is Pope's first official
role with team USA. Malachi is going to be there
(01:48):
for the second time in training camp, and Johnson earned
a gold medal at the twenty twenty four FOEBA U
nineteen America Cup. Johnson and Marino both part of the
USA Men's Nike Hoop I'm a team earlier this spring
that beat the World Select team in overtime, So good
gigs for them. Bad day for the baseball Wildcats yesterday
(02:09):
in Hoover. Their SEC portion of their schedule now is
officially over as they fall to Oklahoma five to one
at Hoover met the Wildcats now twenty nine and twenty four,
and now they've lost four straight, dating back to the
sweep by Vanderbilt and coming out of the Oklahoma series
where the Wildcats swept, it looked like they were solid
(02:32):
with the NCA tournament. But now once again you got
to wonder, and they have to wait now until this
coming Monday. That's when the selection show is. And there
are teams Kentucky, teams that have had more wins and
not gotten into the tournament. But those teams did not play,
of course in the SEC, which is as tough as
(02:54):
it is now. Kentucky does own four series wins, including
a win down at Tennessee. But yesterday Kentucky just couldn't
get anything going to hit into three double plays did
the Wildcats, including a first inning double play with the
bases loaded. They did take a one to nothing lead
in a third on a Sooner's error, but Oklahoma bounced
(03:16):
right back with a two run homer attacked on three
more runs and the Wildcatch has beat the ball into
the turf all day long. Luke Lawrence did have a
big day, three for three. He had his eighteenth multi
hit game of the season, but Tyler Bell kept off
base twenty four game reached safely streak ends. He has though,
(03:38):
reached in fifty one of fifty three career games for
the Wildcats, but he, of course, as the leadoff man,
sets the tone and Oklahoma did a nice job keeping
him off the bases. Nine Wildcats have been named it
a twenty twenty five Track and Field All SEC Teams
following the SEC Outdoor Championships. Excuse me, that's according to
(04:00):
the Southeastern Conference. Kentucky won six medals at the SEC
Championships here in Lexingon, including three bronze, two silvers, and
one gold. Collins Kip Rope Kippin Oak headlined both the
SEC results over the weekend and the All Conference First
Team for the Cats, got his first career gold medal
in the men's three thousand meter steeplechase on Friday. In
(04:24):
the final event, broke the SEC championship and the UK
facility record. So congrats to all the medal winners for
the Wildcats. We'll take a break, come back and talk
with Chris Fisher up next here on the Leech Report.
Welcome back to the Leach Report. Dick Gabriel sitting in
for the Voice on a Wednesday. The Leach Report, presented
(04:44):
by Bobcat Enterprises for locations in Kentucky. When you need
to rent or buy heavy equipment, Google them to find
out the closest location to you. And we welcome in
Chris Fisher of the Cats Pause, part of the two
four seven network of Morning Chris, Good Morning, ser Braden
Hawthorne is a Wildcat. Were we surprised by that.
Speaker 2 (05:10):
A little bit?
Speaker 1 (05:11):
Yeah, just in the sense that I think he did.
Speaker 3 (05:14):
He did a good job as really any recruit can
do at kind of keeping things quiet and keeping things
close to the vest. I don't think he told a
lot of people. I'm not even sure Kentucky knew for sure.
I think they might have had a decent idea. But
but yeah, he kept this thing pretty tight lipped to
(05:36):
the end and surprising, if for no other reason than
Mark Pope was able to convince a top forty high
school prospect to come in and be essentially the fourteenth man.
Speaker 2 (05:49):
On his roster.
Speaker 4 (05:50):
And you know, when when Mark Pope first got started
at Kentucky, I think the concern was could he recruit
at the level you know, to sustain Canentucky as a
championship program.
Speaker 3 (06:01):
And I think the answer to that has been a
resounding yes.
Speaker 1 (06:04):
What did you think, Chris, of that assessment of Pope
or that question about Pope? Because I thought of all
the things that were said, you know, Ken he win
in the NCA tournament, come on, but I thought that
was the most ridiculous because here he had he had
been successful at Utah Valley State for crying out loud,
relatively speaking, but then at Brigham Young and to think
(06:26):
for just a nano second that he would have trouble
recruiting at Kentucky. I mean I couldn't roll my eyes
fast enough.
Speaker 5 (06:32):
How about you, Yeah, I mean, you know, Kentucky as
we've seen, you know, with you know, the the John
cal Perry stuff and him going to Arkansas, Kentucky.
Speaker 3 (06:44):
Is the brand. Yeah, that is going to hold true
for for whoever.
Speaker 2 (06:50):
Is the coach.
Speaker 3 (06:51):
I mean, Billy Gillespie, you know, I mean he was
able to land Patrick Patterson and Alex Legion and you
know some other highly touted players, and so, you know,
I think there's gonna be a concern anytime any coach
or player hasn't done it at the level that they're
going to and so. But I thought it was also
(07:13):
important that, you know, Mark Pope brought on guys like
Alton Brooks a third and Jason Hard, guys that had
recruited at a really high level and brought them on.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
To the staff.
Speaker 3 (07:24):
And then you know, when you look at Braden Hawthorne's quotes, yeah,
after he committed to Kentucky saying, you know, Mark Pope talked,
called and texted me more than any other coach. If
he's doing that with his fourteenth man, imagine how hard
he's recruiting the other guys. And I just think, you know,
I think it says a lot about Mark Pope's honesty,
(07:47):
his trustworthiness, his transparency to sell a top forty high
school prospect on the idea of coming in, maybe not
playing a lot of men and kind of using his
freshman year as a developmental year. I'm not sure I
see much value in red shirting him because those in
(08:08):
game reps are going to be so valuable for him
as the season goes along, and kind of picking his
spots and you know, getting that experience. Because Mark Pope
always talks about how year two is so huge for
guys in his program, and how those guys typically tend
to make a big jump from year one to year two,
(08:30):
and so having a guy in your program, even if
he doesn't have a huge role on the court, I
think it's going to be extremely beneficial for a guy
like Braden Hawthorne, who is a little bit of a
late bloomer obviously needs to get a lot stronger, but
for him to have a year in the program is
going to be huge for his development.
Speaker 1 (08:50):
And that quote that Chris just rattled off was part
of the story he has at two four seven Sports
where Hawthorn City. He calls me and texts me more
than any buddy I have ever talked to in the past,
which that's pretty strong, isn't it.
Speaker 2 (09:06):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (09:06):
I just think, you know, keeping that that constant contact.
And you know, I think one of the common threads
with Mark Pope and his recruiting has been, you know, obviously,
you know, money talks, and you know, I'm sure Kentucky
spent its fair share of money in the NIL space,
but I think Mark Pope has done a really good
job of recruiting guys that genuinely want to be here
(09:29):
and genuinely want to represent the program and the state
that you know, it's important for them to chase number nine,
and so, you know, I think that's a that's refreshing
compared to, you know, the last fifteen years or so,
where after a while it started to feel like Kentucky
(09:51):
had become more of just a stopover on you know,
on the way to to the NBA.
Speaker 6 (09:59):
Right, So.
Speaker 3 (10:01):
It's it's been refreshing for sure.
Speaker 1 (10:04):
Well, and you know, you allude to the nil it
doesn't have to be a stop over anymore, and we're
seeing that at play right now with the Otago Ohway,
who has a terrific fallback plan if he comes back
to Kentucky, terrific in terms of dollars and cents.
Speaker 3 (10:17):
Right, Yeah, I mean I would I would certainly expect
otakea oh Way to make double, maybe even triple at
Kentucky next season, more than what he would on a
two way contract in the NBA. Kind of being you know,
jettison back and forth from the NBA to the G League.
And you know, I think he had a very solid
(10:39):
showing at the NBA Draft combine, but I think NBA
decision makers are just wanting to see him kind of
extrapolate that, you know, out over the course of another
season at Kentucky, which I think you know Mark again,
Mark Pope talks about that year two jump. If we
see that from otega Oway all of a sudden, I
(11:00):
think you're you know, you could see a potential first
round pick develop in him next season.
Speaker 1 (11:08):
Yeah, and it's it's gonna be the kind of thing
where he's got to learn new teammates, but he's got
some older teammates, but it's going to be the Mark
Pope system, so you know, oh wait, won't be thinking
as much. He can just go and do what he
has to do on offense. And you know that's like
anything any sport, any athlete. You know, the less you
have to actually think and you can just rely on
(11:29):
muscle memory, the better off you're going to be. Plus
always going to be armed with the knowledge, same kind
of knowledge that Antonio Reeves had right to come back
and improve his game.
Speaker 3 (11:40):
Yeah, and Mark Pope talks a lot about the decision
making and you know, the processing speed, and once you've
had a year under your belt, your your processing decision
making become so much faster. And like you said, you're
not thinking as much, you're playing faster. And I think
we'll see that out of otega Oway next season. We
know he can put the ball in the basket. I mean,
(12:01):
he proved that he was Kentucky's leading scorer. I think
he scored you know, in double figures and all but
two of the two or three of the games last
season and was extremely, extremely consistent. I thought, easily Kentucky's
most consistent performer. Part of the reason because he was
able to stay healthy when some of the other guys
(12:22):
you know, had injuries over the course of the season.
But definitely a guy I could see making making a
big jump next year, even with all the added artillery
that Kentucky brought in through the through the transfer report.
Speaker 1 (12:34):
Talking to Chris Fisher of two four to seven Sports
and the Cats paused guests on Leach Report coming to
you via the Club Blue nil dot com hotline. More
with Chris on the other side of the break here
on the Leach Report. Welcome back to the Leach Report.
Dick Gabriel sitting in for the Voice. A reminder, The
Leach Report, presented by Bobcat enterprises for locations in Kentucky.
(12:55):
When you need to rent or buy heavy equipment, Google
them to find the closest location to you talking to
Chris Fisher of the Cat's Pause two four seven Sports
and last night in the NBA Shay Gildas Alexander with
another big game even though he was two of thirteen
in the first half. Minnesota did a great job on
him defensively, but ok City figured it out, Chris, in
(13:16):
the second half, he had a big game. Julius Randall
had twenty in the first half and only eight in
the second for the Wolves. But you retweeted something a
couple of days ago about the fact that that huge
trade and I was talking about this on my show
the other day, that huge trade of the big men
from Minnesota to New York and vice versa, involving two Wildcats.
(13:37):
That's one of those rare deals that really paid off
for both, didn't it.
Speaker 2 (13:42):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (13:42):
I definitely think it made both teams better, and it
kind of felt like each respective team had kind of
maxed out what they could accomplish with both of those guys,
and then all of a sudden, you swap them and
it takes both teams to a new level and it
seems like, you know, it kind of reinvigorated Karl Anthony Towns.
(14:04):
It kind of reinvigorated Julius Randall, and they both found
homes in their new cities and taking their teams to
to a new level and to the to the conference finals.
And you know, it wouldn't surprise me at all to
see those two teams playing for you know, playing in
the NBA Finals. I mean, obviously, Oklahoma City is is
(14:25):
really really good, really talented, very good defensively, and you know,
was very decisive in their Game one win last night.
But the Wolves have been playing as good as anybody
in the playoffs, and so it wouldn't surprise me to
see them springing the upset. And then I think in
the Eastern Conference that Knicks Pacer series, which harkens back
so many you know, emotions and so back to those
(14:48):
those series that we saw in the nineties, you know,
the Hicks versus the Knicks, and you know, that'll be
a fun one to watch, and I think I could
easily see that one going you know, six or seven
games one.
Speaker 1 (15:00):
Fourteen to eighty eight was the score last night with
Minnesota and OKC. And it's interesting too that those of
us who keep an eye on the former Wildcat, you
know that somebody, some Kentucky. Former Kentucky player is going
to get his first NBA title ring, right, because there's
so many former Calipari players out there on rosters.
Speaker 3 (15:21):
Yeah, I think there's a total of six former Kentucky
players in these conference finals, and obviously one of those
will will come away with with the championship. But it's
also cool to see, you know, not just guys on rosters,
but guys that are contributing at a high level because
there for such a long time, it just felt like,
you know, in the NBA Kentucky head you know, kind
(15:43):
of Jamal Mashburn and you know, that was pretty much it,
and then you had Tayshan Prince there for a while.
But you know, to see the probable you know, MVP
and Shade Gojis Alexander and other guys that are you know,
leading their teams and having a prominent role in these
playoffs is really fun to watch.
Speaker 1 (16:02):
I saw the graphic matching the starting lineups for the
Pacers Knicks finals in two thousand, twenty four years ago.
In the middle, of course, for the Knicks Patrick Ewing
and for the Pacers, Rick Smith's the dunking Dutchman remember him,
played at Marist College, the Red Fox's second player taken
(16:24):
in the NBA draft that year, to Danny Manning, I
know you would have remembered that. But also in that
draft that year was a young Rex Chapman who won
what eighth or ninth overall something like that, to the
very first pick of the Charlotte Hornets back then. So
that really that really takes you back. But like I said,
(16:44):
people forget how many quality players. They don't want to
think about how many quality players Cali Perry brought in
here just to just kind of dry it up after
a while, didn't it.
Speaker 3 (16:55):
Yeah, And you were talking about that that Knicks Pacer
series from two thousand, I mean that is a completely
different time, came a completely different brand of basketball. You know,
games being played in the seventies, in the sixties and seventies,
I think I think I saw it was one of
the maybe the four season where the Pistons won the
(17:17):
championship and I think they beat the Pacers. I think
it was like seventy four to sixty nine or something
like that. I mean, those are that's a halftime score
in you know, today's day and age, and so it's
crazy how different the game is twenty twenty five years later.
Speaker 1 (17:33):
And rough physical stuff where you'd be suspended for five games.
Now they just picked themselves up and played on.
Speaker 6 (17:40):
So uh.
Speaker 1 (17:41):
I don't know if it was better, but it was
certainly a lot more intriguing. He is Chris Fisher of
the Cast Pass, part of the two four seven network.
Chris Fisher two four seven on Twitter. Thank you brother,
talk to you again sometime, all right, you bet? Thanks
all right, and when we come back, they're great. Mike
de Corsi of the Sporting News, not that Chris isn't
great U, but Mike, of course you will join us
here on the Leach Report. Welcome back to the Leach Report.
(18:04):
Dick Gabriel sitting in for the Voice this morning, and
we welcome in from the Sporting News Mike the Coursey.
Good morning, Mike, Good morning, Dick.
Speaker 2 (18:12):
How are you?
Speaker 1 (18:13):
I'm well, sir, Thank you so much before we talk sports, basketball, football, whatever,
We like your thoughts you you. We posted some things
about the passing of George Went. We've lost Norm from
cheers and you know, it's only, as I say, seventy six,
but he was just the perfect guy for that role,
(18:33):
wasn't he.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Oh my goodness.
Speaker 6 (18:36):
I was watching some of the clips and just simple
one line him walking into the bar and answering a
question from either Ted Danson or Woody Harreldson or the
gentleman who played coach.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
And I still laugh forty years later and laughed hard.
Speaker 6 (18:55):
And it's he was such a wonderful character actor.
Speaker 2 (18:59):
He did more beyond beyond norm.
Speaker 6 (19:02):
That that showed he had range as an actor. But
when you create something as iconic as norm, it's hard.
Speaker 2 (19:12):
It's hard to expand beyond that.
Speaker 6 (19:14):
He did, though, for those of us who watched Saturday
Night Live, he was the most memorable part as well
of those Chicago Bears. Uh, those those Chicago Bears sketches,
where where the Bears was was kind of presented to
the to the public and to the point where it
became such a part of the lexicon that when Chicago
(19:37):
Chicago was named Pope of the Roman Catholic Church the
Chicago Chicago.
Speaker 2 (19:42):
Sun Times the headline was the hope.
Speaker 6 (19:46):
I mean, that's that's the impact George went had on
our culture.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
Yeah. Yeah, And I don't know if you're aware of that.
She may be, but I heard an interview with James Burrows,
who directed so many of those Cheers episodes, maybe a
great sitcom director in television history. He created those moments,
didn't write them all, but Norm walking through the door
to the barstool, and of course it was the iconic
(20:12):
Norm moment. And then of course the scene that you
just described, a question to Norm and a wisecrack about
getting a beer. And the reason Burrows needed that was blocking.
He wanted George went to sit as you face the
camera the TV screen, on the right end of the bar,
(20:33):
not the left end. I mean, Norm could have sat
at the stool closest to the door, but as you know,
he sat at the one closest to the men's room,
the pool table, whatever. The TV and Burrows had to
get him in every episode from the door, past the
bar to the barstool. You talk about serendipity, I mean,
(20:54):
isn't that what people are going to remember Norm for
more than anything?
Speaker 2 (20:57):
Oh, I don't think there's any question.
Speaker 6 (20:59):
And as I said, they played six or eight of
those in the in in some of the tributes to
him that were on the network news and other venues,
and and and they were all hilarious. And I sat
there and laughed, and I hadn't seen any I don't
because there's so much out there to watch. I'm not
(21:20):
a rewatcher. I know there's some people who will rewatch things.
I wish I had that kind of time, but there's
so much out there that I've not not seen. I
want to see new things. So I haven't rewatched Cheers
since I watched the original run. And I don't think
I missed many episodes back in those days, even though
we were relatively new to VCRs and such. But they
(21:43):
were just hilarious that those lines that they wrote for
him were perfect. They almost never missed, and part of
it was because of his wonderful delivery.
Speaker 1 (21:53):
Vc our kids, ask your parents, they'll explain it. Let's
get over it. By the way, what's shaken? All four
cheeks and a couple of chins? Coach that was one
of my favorites. Boogie flanned as we transition seamlessly into
basketball is now Florida Gator. I tried the NBA, as
we all know, the NBA waters and signed with the Gators.
(22:16):
Were you surprised by that? Mike, because he chose to
go with Caliperi to Arkansas made that choice just as
Big Z did. And now he's at Illinois, and we
all know there's plenty of money in Arkansas if it
came down to nil funds. What did you make of
that move?
Speaker 6 (22:32):
Yeah, I was a little surprised, in part because Florida
had already locked up Xavian Lee from Princeton as a
as a point guard. So what are they going to
do with Boogie? Are they going to play them both together?
I imagine?
Speaker 2 (22:50):
So? But who gets the ball?
Speaker 6 (22:52):
And when you play two point guards, you still one
still really has to be in charge. If not, it
doesn't work. So who of those two players gets to
have the ball? I think that's a real interesting question
now that Florida is going to have to answer. But
the presence of another high end guard added to the
terrific front court, presumably if Condon goes back, makes Florida
(23:17):
certainly a threat to repeat as SEC tournament champion and
as a Final four team and as a national champion.
Speaker 2 (23:25):
I think they're certainly in the mix with that.
Speaker 6 (23:28):
But I am a little surprised that he wasn't interested
in going back to Arkansas. I would imagine his experience
was frustrating because he was hurt much of the year.
Speaker 2 (23:38):
But when he got healthy, Cal embraced him and brought.
Speaker 6 (23:42):
Him right back into the lineup, right back in the rotation,
So it wasn't anything like that. I thought he had
a pretty good experience there, and I think if you
look around the NBA Playoffs, playing for Cal over the
years has usually paid off pretty well for professional prospects.
Speaker 1 (23:58):
Oh yeah, I was just talking to Chris Fisher about that.
The playoffs are just dotted with guys who played under
Caliperi at Kentucky, and of course kids sit up and
take notice, and if they don't, then caliberre's going to
point that out during the recruiting process for sure. I
don't know about you, but I've talked to a lot
of people about this boogie Flann goes down injured. I
(24:18):
thought Arkansas actually moved up got better because they didn't
depend on him so much. He didn't throw him the
ball and then just sit there and watch him. And
by the time he got back, that team was playing
with so much more confidence. And then he assimilated so
much better. And that's one of the reasons I think
why they made their run. Did you see it that way?
Speaker 2 (24:38):
Yeah?
Speaker 6 (24:38):
And part of that was DJ Wagner sure having to
make a step forward. It was at the point where
this was not even going to float if he didn't
get better and significantly better.
Speaker 2 (24:51):
And part of that was the ball was now his.
Speaker 6 (24:55):
I talked before about that problem that Florida will have
next year. And when the Paul became DJs, he became
a better player and instead of being kind of sometimes okay,
maybe the point guard now and then it was his
because they didn't have anybody else, and he did a
wonderful job with that.
Speaker 2 (25:13):
I'll be honest with you.
Speaker 6 (25:14):
I mean, like of all the players I've watched over
the years, there are a handful that I just said, no,
that's not there, He's not it, and then they said, oh,
yes it is.
Speaker 2 (25:23):
And DJ is very much.
Speaker 6 (25:25):
In that group. I was way wrong on him. I
had given up that he had anything really significant to
offer the Division One basketball.
Speaker 2 (25:35):
And his run in.
Speaker 6 (25:38):
Late actually February and then March proved that I had
totally miss misevaluated him. And I'll be frank, that doesn't
happen a lot.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
I agree completely. And of course at Kentucky he was
battling injuries, and in Arkansas, as I said, they got
off to that slow start, but I was right there
with you, and I was happy for him at the
end of the season. Mike the course of the Sporting News,
We'll come back and talk more hoops with Mike in
just a minute here on the Leach Report. Welcome back
(26:09):
to The Leach Report, coming to you from the Clark's
Pumpin' Shops studio, which doubles is my garage this morning.
Remember to sign up for their new loyalty rewards program, Return,
refresh and refuel at Clark's. We are talking to the
great Mike de Corsi of The Sporting News. Mike, you
have retweeted some of Andy Katz's material on x or Twitter,
including a conversation that Cats had with Mark Pope, who
(26:31):
is firmly in favor of advancing the ball after a
time out late in the game, and you are really
outspoken against that. Were you disappointed in Mark Pope?
Speaker 6 (26:43):
There aren't many things that Mark the Pope does that disappointment,
but that's one. He is a great coach and a
great guy and a great representative for UK on multiple levels,
now as an alum and obviously as the head coach.
But he couldn't be more wrong about this it's a
it's an abomination. There is no sport that says here,
(27:05):
it's too hard for you to go the full length
of the floor, so or the full length of the
playing surface, so we're gonna make it really easy for you.
The fact that the NBA says this to the best
players in the world is such an insult. It's mind boggling.
Like Lebron James can get the length of the court
if he has to, and probably could do it in
three seconds or less.
Speaker 2 (27:25):
I mean, I saw Yukon one time in a.
Speaker 6 (27:28):
Conference I think it was the American Conference tournament against Cincinnati,
had zero point eight seconds and the ball on.
Speaker 2 (27:36):
A side out at the far hash, and they won
the game.
Speaker 6 (27:39):
I've seen that, and and Lebron or SGA can't do
it without having time.
Speaker 2 (27:45):
Out move them to half court.
Speaker 6 (27:47):
It's the worst rule in sports. There is no logic
to it. If the game of basketball isn't exciting enough
as it is, I mean, what is.
Speaker 1 (27:59):
The logic that Mark Pope applied to it was that,
you know, and it's kind of veers away from your response.
You can get a much better, more exciting, more interesting
play if you sacrifice the time out for that what
is it, you know, forty eight feet or whatever on
(28:21):
the court. You know, it just gives you a better
opportunity for a grander finish, you know what I'm saying.
Although I'm sure you can counter with you know what's
better than working it up the court and getting a
finish like that? Right?
Speaker 6 (28:33):
Well, I mean, okay, so like just you and I'm
not and I don't think I'm being logical here. I
don't think I'm taking this too extremes.
Speaker 2 (28:41):
Right what if in baseball? Okay, so we want the
great finish. So if you get you know that ghost
runner thing they do to make the game end faster.
Speaker 1 (28:48):
Well, here, we're.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Gonna make it even faster.
Speaker 6 (28:50):
We're gonna bring in a batting practice pitcher to pitch
to your best hitter, and then we can have this
great finish where the guy hits it in the in
the seats that everybody walks off. I mean, that's that's
that's the logic that we're talking about. It's it's unbelievable
to me that people who love the sport of basketball
don't love it enough to see what what garbage the
(29:12):
the the advanced the ball timeout is. Here's the thing,
that really drives me that that that's the number one
thing about it, the yeah, the uh, the obliteration of
competitive logic, that's the thing that drives me craziest about it.
But the secondary thing is you don't even pay a price,
because like if if they said.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Okay, here's the deal.
Speaker 6 (29:34):
We're gonna take your time out, but you guys got
to go run a play without talking to your guys
and nobody they because you're you're getting the timeout and
the forty five feet, so you should get one or
the other at the very least, if you're gonna try
to defend this rule, you should get the timeout so
your guys can rest, or you should get the forty
five fifty feet whatever it is, and then you run
(29:56):
a play. You better have run it well in practice,
because you're not getting any hell from the sideline.
Speaker 2 (30:01):
Like I don't like that rule at all, but.
Speaker 6 (30:05):
I'd like it a tiny I'd hate it a tiny
bit less if you get it that way.
Speaker 1 (30:10):
I got you oh Man worked up in an early Wednesday,
Mike the Course, what about I don't know if you
and I ever talked about this on this show? Are
on my show? What about quarters versus halves. Men's college
basketball is the last bastion of the twenty minute half.
I like the quarters.
Speaker 6 (30:27):
What do you say, Yeah, I am not necessarily a
defender of halves because we don't really have halves.
Speaker 2 (30:34):
Let's be honest. I've said this for the last thirty
some years.
Speaker 6 (30:39):
We play the game in four minute chicken McNuggets. That's
what we do, and so the half thing is just
a construct. It's not really how the game goes. It
goes four minutes at a time. I don't think that
When I was a beat writer and I had to
do game stories every night, Like if I were Ben Roberts,
I would say, never go to havels because those little
(31:00):
four minute breaks you can really get a lot of work.
Speaker 2 (31:03):
Done so you can make your deadline.
Speaker 6 (31:05):
But for the rest of us who now like.
Speaker 2 (31:07):
I don't do that any longer.
Speaker 6 (31:09):
So I don't see the value of stopping every four minutes.
Speaker 2 (31:13):
And look, I'm in television.
Speaker 6 (31:15):
I know they got to get commercials in, but the
NBA gets plenty of commercials in in their halftime and
in the timeouts, the strategic timeouts that are called in
the quarter break.
Speaker 2 (31:24):
There's a room for commercials. I don't think.
Speaker 6 (31:27):
I've never had a television person tell me that they
couldn't figure that out if the game went to quarters.
Speaker 1 (31:34):
No, I've never I've never bought that. My logic is
reset the fouls at the end of the quarter, less
time at the free throw line. But that's a hill.
That's a hill I'm not going to die on. Just
a minute or two left with Mike, I hated you
tweeted a slab of concrete, A picture of a slab
of concrete where your commemorative brick used to be at
PNC Park in Pittsburgh. I've been there. It is a
(31:56):
wonderful ballpark. And because we were there when my beloved
Cardinals were playing, we were able to get inexpensive seats
right behind home plate and I watched Adam Wainwright I'm
thirty feet away from him pitching a one hitter. It
was a great experience in my life. But what in
the world were they thinking, Man, your brick's important.
Speaker 6 (32:16):
I tell people all the time, Dick that if they
have a favorite baseball team, whether it's the Pirates or
more likely someone else, come.
Speaker 2 (32:25):
To Pittsburgh for a weekend series.
Speaker 6 (32:27):
It's a great place to spend a few days, and
the ballpark is, if not the very best, it's one
of the two or three best in the league. It's
a wonderful experience. And I can tell you all the
cool Pittsburgh places to.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Go to eat.
Speaker 6 (32:42):
And I was really shocked at the way that story
played out, Dick, because I think, what, I don't understand
how someone could be in that business and understand, like
I tell people I said yesterday on the show, like
I can go get my Teddy Grahams at Chocolate Milk
at any store that you know is either close to
me or offers the best price on them.
Speaker 2 (33:05):
I don't have to have brand loyalty to that.
Speaker 6 (33:07):
But baseball or professional sports or college sports, they're different.
They are they are about the passion and the connection
and the history. And I got that brick around two
thousand and one because I was so happy that baseball.
Speaker 2 (33:22):
Would be continuing in my hometown.
Speaker 6 (33:26):
Even though I had sort of lost affection for the
Pirates as a team or the sport. I don't I
don't have the passion for it I did before. But
it was important to me that this sport stayed here,
and so I got that brick, and so then, like
they I guess they judged that they weren't safe anymore
because the surface had gone an even and things had
(33:46):
recessed and all that, And I get that, but they
could have repurposed the bricks in a lot of different ways,
including perhaps putting them back down after they did that,
after they made corrections.
Speaker 2 (33:57):
It probably would have cost more money.
Speaker 6 (33:59):
But at the very least, you don't just say don't.
They didn't tell anyone, and then all of a sudden
they were found in.
Speaker 2 (34:05):
It up somewhere.
Speaker 1 (34:06):
Yep. That's terrible.
Speaker 2 (34:08):
Not the best business.
Speaker 1 (34:09):
Terrible, terrible. Well, Mike, thank you for the time. Always
a pleasure, Have a great day, have a great day.
Thank you, Mike. The course here the Sporting News at TSN,
Mike on Twitter, and we'll wrap up in a minute
on the Leach Report. Welcome back to the Leach Report.
To Gabrieline for the Voice, and just a reminder that
Tom is out tomorrow as well. But I will be
(34:31):
in sitting in for Tom, no problem, and it's always
fun to sit in for Tom. He's got a lot
going on, he's got some time off and I think
today they're working on his studio, actually making some upgrades
and changes so he can't work out of his studio
at home. Hey, the Legends of the LPGA Tour coming
to Woodford County. Some of the top players in the
(34:53):
history of the tour playing in the Woodford Legends Invitational
on June seventh and eighth at the Woodford Club inver
Sales Tickets are fifteen bucks per day. Go to Woodford
Clubfoundation dot org to get details. Woodford Clubfoundation dot org
for details. Proceeds benefit KVC Kentucky. So it's gonna be
(35:16):
a big deal. It's gonna be some good golf over there,
and that we urge you to be a part of it.
A reminder that well actually our Kentucky road Show Sports
cards and memorabilia moment, this moment in UK history. Learn
more about them at Roadshowcards dot com. Birthday greetings going
out today to Josh Allen and Jamal mcglore. Those guys
(35:39):
were two of the most physical players for their respective
sports in the history of UK if you think about it,
Jamal mcglure played basketball very much like Josh Allen played football,
and his presence was missed after he left and was
part of a national championship team came down here from Toronto,
(35:59):
and in fact they recruited as coach to come with them.
But he was absolutely a physical presence for the Wildcats
and actually had a nice NBA career, made the All
Star team one year and then ended up on staff
with Toronto. With the Raptors, he may still be working
for them as far as I know. And of course
(36:20):
Josh Allen was such a joy to watch, and he
was kind of like Benny Snell. You knew they needed
a couple of yards or a touchdown, you knew the ball,
everybody the ball was going to Benny when they needed
a sack or a stop. You knew Josh Allen was
going to come through. Everybody knew it, even the team
that was trying to double team him, but he still
(36:40):
made it work. Also, a big happy birthday to a
friend of this show and my mister Mark's story from
the Herald Leader and marked a couple of interesting columns
in the Herold Leader newspaper over the weekend. We urge
you to check them out. That's going to do it
for today. My thanks to Shannon the Dude. Stay tuned
for Billy and the Dude next coming up on Most
of these stations have a great day, everybody
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