2025-06-12 LEACH REPORT

Tom talks with Kent Spencer, Ralph Russo, and Michelle Knezovic.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good day, everybody. Welcome into the Leech Report, presented by
Bob Kat Enterprises. Glad to have you on board today.
A little adjusting as far as the guests line up
with summer vacations. Justin Roland, if you follow him on
X you know he's backpacking with one of his sons.

(00:22):
Great Father's Day Week experience. Anyway, he's not available again
this week. We should get him back next week. And
then Goose is playing in a golf outing today so
he's got the day off, So a couple of our
Thursday regulars we'll be back next week. It's a real
lead off. Ralph Russo I've got him rescheduled for today

(00:43):
from the Athletic he's done a lot of coverage of
the house settlement and the business side of college athletics,
and we'll talk with him about that. Ken Spencer from
WHAS eleven in Louisville, we'll get his take on the
Vince Merrow story and more. And Michelle Knezevik from the
UK Sports Network does a lot of the digital content

(01:05):
on the all New All Access platform. They've started a
profile of all of the or not all, but some
of the incoming new transfers for Kentucky football and calling
it transferred Tuesday, and so she's done two of those already,
so we'll talk a little bit about that and some
other things that they're working on. So that's the lineup

(01:28):
for today. Wildcat News of the Day, a service of
giuseppees of Lexington Facers took Game three of the NBA
Finals last night two to one, one, sixteen to one
oh seven, so they're up two to one. They didn't
beat them two to one. They're up two games to
one in the series, and Game four will be tomorrow
night in Indy. Shay gilgens Alexander twenty four points, so

(01:51):
they held him down a little better than they had
been able to do in the first two games. Kentucky
football picked up its fourth recruiting commitment for the next
recruiting class. It's a defensive back out of Vero Beach, Florida,
Jordan crutch Field six three one ninety five and a
lot of SEC schools that were interested in offering. Florida, Auburn,

(02:15):
Mississippi State, South Carolina, Texas A and m Penn State
was interested. Louisville had a visit reportedly scheduled this weekend.
So Jordan Crutchfield three star dB, but one of the
stories I read about him said that he is close
to being at four star level, so maybe he'll get

(02:37):
there anyway. Fourth commit for coach Stoops and company. Some
scheduling notes came out yesterday for both men's basketball and football.
We'll start on the basketball side with Kentucky's opponent set
for the acc SEC Challenge and it'll be the North
Carolina Tar Heels coming into rupp Arena, and I think

(02:59):
it's probably the the first time since the famous Anthony
Davis block of John Henson's shot. Let me punch this
up here and see if I can actually confirmed that,
because they had a series going for a while where

(03:19):
it was home and home and then it went to
just playing in the CBS Sports Classic around Christmas time,
and so that's the only time they've played other the
NCAA tournaments for a while. So actually twenty fourteen was

(03:42):
the last time they were in rapp Aerena, so it
was not the famous Anthony Davis block that was two
times ago. So in December of twenty fourteen, so it
was the twenty fifteen season, North Carolina came in and
played at rapp Aerina against Kentucky, which it will do again,
assuming sometime in early December when that game will come up,

(04:06):
and the schedule I would think will eventually come out
here sometime this summer with Kentucky having a loaded non
conference schedule this season, so that's a fun one for
especially the season ticket holders who get Indiana and North
Carolina in rapp Arena this year for the Kentucky basketball season.

(04:30):
In addition to all the great games in the SEC
now football scheduling, yesterday, the SEC came out with times
or kind of setting times for some games. The Kentucky
game at Georgia the first Saturday in October is going
to be on ABC at high noon. The South Carolina, Auburn,

(04:52):
and Florida games Florida is only one of those that
will be at home are in the flex category meeting.
They'll either be played late afternoon no earlier than three
point thirty Eastern or at night, so at least you
know it won't be in NOTNG game. This is an
effort to help fans be able to plan their road
trips a little easier supposed to knowing you know it

(05:12):
could play at noon or nine o'clock, so this narrows
it down in these games somewhat. And like I say,
the Georgia games already set. Texas Tennessee for example, those
are locked in as night games now. The exact starting
time not known, but you know it's going to be
sometime likely seven pm Eastern or later for Texas and
Tennessee too home games in October, so that's great for

(05:36):
those of you that love the Keenland UK football double headers.
And then the game at Vandy in November will be
an afternoon game and that could be quite cold by
that time, so that was good to see as well.
Links to the stories that we talk about you can
find those on the bud Light Leach Report page at
Tom leachky dot com. Heading to a break as we

(05:57):
do will remind you. Our opening segment of Wildcat News
is present it by Giuseppes of Lexington. Giuseppes is out
of Nicholsville Road, just tucked away on a little side
road out past man O War Boulevard. Easy to find
and it is worth the trip because the food is fantastic.
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(06:19):
Fantastic sides to go along with it. A lot of
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So make your reservation today through Open Table at Giuseppes.
We'll be right back on the Leach Report quarter past

(06:40):
the top of the hour on this Thursday edition of
the Leach Report, coming to you from the Clarks Pumping
Shop studio. Return Refresh and refuel at Clark's and joining
us on the Club Blue ail dot com hotline. It's
Ralph Russo. He's a writer for The Athletic who has
spent a lot of his time of late covering the
business side of college athletics. And then specifically we're talking

(07:03):
about the house settlement that came down last week, and Ralph,
we appreciate you joining us to help kind of sort
through all of this. It was a long process to
get to where I guess everybody thought this would get
with the judge siding off on it, and now the
implementation of it starts. What's going to be the most

(07:23):
challenging part of this for athletic departments.

Speaker 2 (07:28):
Yeah, and it has been yet. I definitely I did
not when I grew wanted to grow up to be
a sports writer. Didn't know I would know so much
about law. I think I could be a paralegal.

Speaker 1 (07:37):
Now.

Speaker 2 (07:40):
I think the most challenging part of this will be
the trial and error. In other words, like you have
a blueprint and you have a direction that you want
to go, and then in real life, how does this
play out?

Speaker 1 (07:57):
Right?

Speaker 2 (07:58):
How? First of all, there could be some more legal challenges. Right,
even though the judge signed off on a settlement, that
doesn't mean that there aren't Title nine questions on how
money is paid out. That doesn't mean there aren't questions
about frankly, the legality of the way the NIL deals
from outside parties, from third parties are going to be

(08:19):
are going to be evaluated. Now going forward, there's going
to be a clearing house, right, anything over six hundred
dollars your athletes are required to report, and you know,
Deloitte looks at them and says yes or no. Again,
there's a there was a there's a very basic question
about the legality of that. So going forward, The challenges

(08:43):
will be Okay, we know how we want this to work,
but how does it actually work? What happens with collectives now?

Speaker 1 (08:50):
Right?

Speaker 2 (08:51):
Do they just go away? That seems very doubtful, But
what does their role become? And frankly, are we going
back to kids under the table just to try to
get away with you know, giving them a little more?
So yeah, I think that. I think that the interesting
part will be again I call it, We're going to
be entering a trial and error phase. Okay, this is

(09:13):
what we wanted to do. It doesn't really work in
practicality the way we wanted it to. So how do
we adjust?

Speaker 1 (09:20):
And there's a new name that college sports fans need
to know because they'll hear it. His name is Brian Seely,
and he's going to head up something called the College
Sports Commission. So we're not gonna hear about the NCAA
Infractions Committee anymore and probations and all of that.

Speaker 2 (09:38):
Right, Well, you'll still hear a little bit about that, right.
The NCAA will still handle academics, yes, that's still a thing,
and eligibility eligibility rules which are even in the process
of going through some changes as well. But when it
comes to the money, I think to think of it

(09:59):
that way. Things having to do with money will be
handled by the College Sports Commission. There's a cap now
that schools you're not really allowed to if you're going
to opt into the settlement terms, you can't spend more
than it's about twenty and a half million this year
on your athletes. So there's going to be a cap management.
And again going back to the clearinghouse for nil deals,

(10:21):
there's also roster limits and that will go under their
jurisdiction as well. Yeah, Brian Seel is a high ranking
Major League Baseball executive who and a lawyer who has
some time as an assistant US attorney. And frankly he
was in charge of investigations and did you know, but
when I talk to the guys I know who cover

(10:42):
college excuse me, covering baseball Major League Baseball, he generally
gets pretty good grades for coming in there about ten
years ago and getting their investigations department cleaned up and
in a better shape. You know again, lawyer Harvard law
and a guy who has has experienced prosecuting crimes and

(11:05):
also dealing with the type of investigations you deal with
when you're in college sports, which is, we don't have
subpoena power. We don't. We can't just you know, you know,
get a warrant a search warrant here and again is
as much as he seems like a pretty competent guy,
the question becomes how much buy in will you get

(11:26):
from schools? Now, he says, listen, they created this thing,
they hired me, so of course they signaled that they
buy in here. But the history and culture of college
sports is one that is just littered with cheating, right
like cheating and pushing the boundaries and always looking for
an advantage. So to a certain degree, the success of

(11:48):
something like this college Sports Commission and how well this,
you know, Brian Seely can do his new job will
be determined by how much the schools want to actually
have enforcement and comply.

Speaker 1 (12:03):
That number of twenty and a half million dollars that
is would be expected to go up right in coming years.

Speaker 2 (12:12):
Yeah, it's gonna go up as revenues go up. So
the anticipation is a couple of percentage points probably every year,
because you know, we're still all think of it from
this perspective, most of that money is sort of targeting
the broadcast deals that these conferences have as the revenue
that's coming in that the players should be allowed to

(12:33):
share or the athletes should be allowed to share in,
and those deals generally escalate. So yes, there should be
that those numbers. You know, this is a ten year deal.
The settlement just required. Now again there's a lot of
questions about we are definitely not an endpoint. We are
at sort of just another the start of a journey.
We're the start of another journey in college sports. But

(12:57):
the idea is that that that's that number could be
up in twenty five million within a few years and
then eventually beyond that.

Speaker 1 (13:05):
One thing I think from you just you listen to shows,
read comments whatever from fans, that there's in places like
you know, this part of the world, when the SEC
concerned about for a place like the University of Kentucky
where basketball is is huge, that you know, the schools
are going to have to spread their money out over

(13:26):
you know, the however many sports they choose to. But
schools like in the Big East that don't or major
football playing schools or football at all, will they have
a significant advantage or how do you what's the guess
on how that plays out.

Speaker 2 (13:43):
So they could. I do think that that is a
fair you know. It's funny. When this thing first started
coming together about a year and a half ago, I
asked some people that question, and I think there was
an apprehension to sort of look so far ahead, because
I mean when I when I say this was coming together, like,
I don't even think it had been announced yet, right,

(14:04):
we were still in the stages of it being negotiated.
And I asked some folks that question, and I think again,
there was some apprehension about going there. But I do
think when and I like I just so you know,
like I live in Big East country. I live in
New York, and I grew up in a Big East country,
so I certainly have a soft spot for that, you know,

(14:25):
even though I cover mostly college football, I've always had
a soft spot for that conference. And yeah, I do
think that the folks in the Big East especially are
already fairly well funded programs and think to themselves, yeah,
we could have a fourteen million dollar football like excuse me,
a fourteen million dollar basketball or fifteen million dollar basketball

(14:50):
roster every year, where that would be a little difficult,
as you said, for an SEC school I do think,
and this this is this is beyond just that conversation
and going back to enforcement and what the third party
NIL deals could look like. I still think going forward,
schools that can maybe creatively maybe pushing the boundaries or

(15:15):
maybe even just be smart enough to figure out a
way to do it while still complying with the rules.
The schools, the bigger brands that are able to supplement
on top of that twenty and a half million one
way or the other because of maybe their relationship with
big businesses, big companies, publicly traded companies maybe allow in

(15:38):
some ways their athletes to be linked on to their
own endorsement and sponsorship deals to sort of again supplement
that income. I think that that will be the wave
of the future and still provide bigger brands like Kentucky
basketball the ability to legally get their players more money.

(16:04):
And again like you know, the idea of maybe subverting
the salary cap, but again like legally being able to
do it, And again going back to what we said before,
how much will be illegally done to subvert the salary cap?
I think that still becomes a part of college sports
as well.

Speaker 1 (16:19):
It's an interesting discussion and definitely one that gets real complex,
real quick when you're dealing with all the legalities. So
I appreciate you jumping on and giving us a little insight.
May holler at you later on as this sorts itself out.

Speaker 2 (16:34):
Oh thanks guys, and yeah, I always happy to actually
talk some actual football.

Speaker 1 (16:38):
That was all Well, we'll get you back into that
before football season.

Speaker 2 (16:41):
Thank you, super thanks guys.

Speaker 1 (16:44):
That's Ralph Rousso from the Athletic dot Com. We'll take
a quick break, come back with a short segment here
on the Leitch Report, and then in the second half
Michelle Kenzevik from the UK Sports All Access and Ken
Spencer from WHAS eleven on The Leach Report Radio network,
presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises. Brian Wilson, the musical

(17:05):
genius that made the Beach Boys happen, passed yesterday at
eighty two. We're playing help Me Ronda, which is probably
my favorite Beach Boys song, and you won't be able
to if you're a podcast listener. You're not hearing that
obviously some of the rules involving that. But anyway, Shannon
punched that up for me. Shannon, what's your favorite Beach
Boy song?

Speaker 3 (17:26):
Tough to pick, but I'd have to say probably good vibrations.
But I was also a big fan of Surfer Girl.
She knows me too well. So many great Beach Boys
songs that you know when you go to the beach,
you're on vacation. How can you not put on some
Beach Boys special age.

Speaker 1 (17:41):
God only knows. Probably the one that gets from the
people that are like study music or whatever. That's the
one that excited probably most often is their best song.
But yeah, this one's probably my favorite. Anyway, sad news
about the passing of Brian Wilson. We'll be right back.
It's the lead trueport presented by Bobcat Enterprises for locations

(18:03):
around Kentucky for Bobcats, So just google Bobcat Enterprises when
you need to buy or rent some heavy equipment for
a job, They'll have what you need, They'll give you
a great service after the deal is done, and they
are fantastic folks to deal with. Bobcat Enterprises. Joining us
now is Michelle Kenezevic. She is with UK Sports Network

(18:25):
and the new all Access platform and one of the
new features there is Transfer Tuesday to get you introduced
to some of the new faces and voices for the
Kentucky football team. And Michelle, you did Zach Calzata week
one and Alex Wolschleger offensive lineman week two, so you're
often running any fun stories out of either one of

(18:47):
those interviews.

Speaker 4 (18:49):
Yes, Tom, Well, first off, good morning, thank you for
having me. As we know football season is going to
be here before we know it, but you kind of
touched on it transfer Tuesday. We are getting to know
a lot of the new transfers in this new age
of college athletics, with so many new people coming in
and out each year, having to get to know these players.
But one thing that I thought was super interesting from

(19:12):
the Zach Talzada interview. He's a quarterback coming from Incarnate Word,
but has previously played in the SEC at Auburn and
A and M, so he's familiar with the conference. He
said he's gained over twenty pounds and he's become two
miles faster. So when you talk about body development and
coming back into the SEC, that was something that really

(19:34):
stuck out to me when he said the HUT, I'm
like two miles faster and you gain twenty pounds. That's exciting. Obviously,
I know fans are going to be really in tune
to see you know, will it be Cutter Bully, will
it be Zach Calzada. You know, what will the quarterback
room look like as we slowly approach fall camp and
football season being here and Alex Volschlager, he was, I mean,

(19:58):
he was so great. Another guy that's going to be
Joe that offensive line room, I know. One of the
biggest takeaways from all of the offensive linemen that we interviewed,
the one coming out next Tuesday is going to be
a Shias Pete coming from New Mexico State. They all
were super impressed by the nutrition within Kentucky's facility and

(20:18):
why nutrition is so important and how that can really
help you get to the next level as far as
not only taking care of your body as far as
a training and in the weight room and things like that,
but what you're also putting into your body. So that
was one of the big takeaways from some of the
offensive linemen that we interviewed. And we'll have a couple
more offensive linemen coming out. We have Kendrick Law k

(20:41):
Law people call one of the wide receivers who transferred
here from Alabama. So a lot of fun ones coming out.
Obviously mentioned it's transfer Tuesdays, so every single Tuesday, fans
can find it on UKs and All Access or if
you follow our social media pages, the videos are right

(21:02):
there at the top right now. So for me to
catch up on the two that you missed, you and
set a right over to social media or you can't
send ALECXA.

Speaker 1 (21:08):
I think you're certainly starting in the right spot with
these particular guys because of the fact that I think
the best the script for Kentucky football exceeding expectations this
season I would think would have a much improved play
from the offensive line and much improved play from the

(21:29):
quarterback position versus last season. And so that's where you
started in those two areas.

Speaker 4 (21:36):
Correct, And I can say from personal experience sitting next
to some of those offensive linemen, those are big members
of the big blue wall that will be coming in.
I think she hasp is almost six seven, so his
interview is the one that's coming out next week. So
as far as size size is coming in, so I

(21:56):
can think Kentucky.

Speaker 1 (21:57):
John, I think it was Gabe the Gabriel was telling
me he was part of a group where they had
a media session with she has Pete and some of
the other new players earlier in the spring, and I
think she has Pete impressed a lot of the media
folks with just how you know, thoughtful and insightful. His

(22:18):
responses were to question, seems like an interesting dude.

Speaker 4 (22:22):
What tom One? I mean when he when he came in,
he was he was so thoughtful with all of all
of the questions that we asked him as far as
you know, get to know. But I would encourage fans.
I mean, he has got just a very very interesting
family as far as you know where he grew up
and his family's background and then his journey really to

(22:45):
just getting here to Kentucky. You know, football wasn't wasn't
something that he played when he was little and it
was always the goal. He kind of found it later
in life. But he also has a very unique skill.
I'm gonna I'm going to tease this right now on
your radio show. So so Monday Tuesday next week, is
a very interesting skill that we got him to do
on camera. So that'll be a fun video that we

(23:08):
will put with his interview next transfer Tuesday. So I
was fascinated when he did this on camera a fun
little te bb and can look it out for Look.

Speaker 1 (23:19):
For that coming up. You guys are going to uh
are looking to kind of really ramp up the digital
social media content heading into the new sports season for
UK Athletics.

Speaker 4 (23:30):
Right tom Something that we teased on social media last
week we were at the father Son Camp with Kentucky
Man's basketball. We did a micd up with Otaga Oway.
Obviously fans extremely excited that he's coming back for year two.
Big decision that was made only a couple of weeks ago.
But we put a clip out on social media where

(23:50):
Coach Pope tells the story of how o'kea gets told him.
Coach was actually on a plane and somehow the phone
call went through and Coach was like so excited, He's like,
I have to call you back. He does on an
airplane right now. But that's that's a great story that
Coach Pope told. We've got that clip out there and
actually the full version of that video will be coming

(24:11):
out tomorrow in a new series that we have called
The Blueprint, where we essentially are following Kentuckumen's basketball around
for different events that they're doing leading up to the season,
whether it be team building events. We mentioned the camp,
they mentioned a couple of satellite camps, so we'll be
we'll be right there getting some cool and fun content,

(24:32):
whether it be miked up with the players along the
journey as we get into the school season and the
basketball season. Because one's football season starts, you blink and
then big blue manus.

Speaker 1 (24:43):
Is there a lot of this is new for players?
Do you sense that for the most part they are
having fun with it?

Speaker 4 (24:53):
Oh? I mean, I just told the take up please
don't take my job because he was so good at
it and loved the microphone Tom. But I think now
in this new day and age of nil, players are
wanting to put themselves out there a little bit more.
All in all, you're ye, all in all, you're building
your brand, You're you're building your social media following, You're

(25:15):
putting yourself out there, You're putting yourself in front of
a camera, you're speaking, you're telling your story. All of
these things, you know, I think play into building that brand,
showing the fan base, your personality. That can lead to
you know, whether it leads to a marketing deal. Because
this is the college athletics we know it as we

(25:35):
know it right, all of these marketing deals you're seeing
players get and the more you put yourself out there,
the more you're showing your personality doing podcasts and interviews,
the more you build your brand. You see some athletes
who have become full time influencers and can continue that
on even after their careers.

Speaker 1 (25:50):
Michelle cadezdak UK Sports Network All Access and the follow
on x is at UK sports New Work right to
see some of this content there if where else can
they find it.

Speaker 4 (26:05):
You can also also the Kentucky Men's basketball page will
share it. You can click on the UK Athletics page.
And what I'm really urging all fans to do is
if you download the UK Athletics app, which you all
should have for your tickets. Right at the bottom, you'll
see a button that says UKs and you click that
heads right over to all of our content and it
is free for all fans. You just got to put

(26:25):
an email in there.

Speaker 1 (26:26):
You go. Thank you so much, Michelle.

Speaker 4 (26:29):
Awesome, thanksm have a good Duncan.

Speaker 1 (26:30):
Eadek Transfer Tuesday one of the cool new features. But
more new features on the way from UK Sports Network
All Access. We will take a break and come back
with Cad Spencer from WHAS eleven and Louisville from the
Clarks Pumping Shop studio, Return, refresh and refuel at Clark's
ortein Away from the top of the hour on the

(26:51):
Leads Report, guest come to you other Club Blueennil dot
com hotline and they have a new initiative underway, Club
Blue Kids. You can get your young signed up for
free to get a membership card, a lanyard, a T shirt,
plus the really good stuff, athlete experiences, meet and greets,
exclusive events, and more. It's totally free. Sign up at

(27:12):
Club Blueinil dot com by clicking on the kids tab.
Club Blue Kids were future Wildcats repped the Blue and
White with pride. Joined now by Ken Spencer from w
h A S eleven in Louisville. On the Club Blue
Inile dot com hotline, talk a little bit about the
big news in that market and this market, which was

(27:32):
Vince Marrow's the story break. He's not, I guess been
finalized yet, Ken, but Vince Marrow to the University of
Louisville football program. How surprised were you to hear that news?

Speaker 5 (27:44):
You know, honestly like it? The timing I think was
more surprising to me than you know, him finally making
the jump, you know, I the fact that it had
that it took place in mid June. I think that's
probably the most fucking thing for for me, just because
you know, when you know the history I think between

(28:06):
you know, Jeff Broum and Vince Verro, I mean, Brom
has tried on several occasions, and I want to say,
you know, the last time that that Brom tried to
get him to Louisville, I think it came pretty close
to happening. Ultimately he ended up staying at Kentucky. I
think that was probably the biggest shock for me, only

(28:27):
because you know, I mean, you know, if if if
Vince is thinking of long term down the down the road,
this may be the best career path and and uh
direction for for his career going forward. How so, well,
you know, I don't want to be a predictor, but

(28:49):
it's not like things are trending in a great spot
with Kentucky football right now, and there's not great vibes
I don't think around the program right now and so
and that's not the case with Louisville football right now.
Things are trending in a very good direction. And so
how how much longer does that staff have to get

(29:10):
things turned around and get things going in the in
the right direction. Does did Vince see an opening for
for long term effects? Plus, I mean, this is a
move for him that kind of takes him off the
field and puts him more in that you know that
that soul recruiting facet. Because Louis already has a tight

(29:31):
ends coach, he doesn't have to do that. So it's
just a little bit. And I think in the world
of the ever changing world of college athletics and N
I l to be quite honest with you, like, I
think this gives him far more options about a career
path going forward.

Speaker 1 (29:47):
Yeah, that's a good point because I think Vince has
been mentioned a few times with head coaching vacancies that
were you know, the search was underway and for whatever reason,
none of the worked out for him, and at some
point you wonder, Okay, maybe there's another You're looking for
some path to be able to move up the ladder

(30:11):
in salary and whatever in your in your business. And
now these new roles with general managers and things that
have come up as associated with Nil and all the
changes in college athletics. On the business side, it gives
somebody like that if you want to try another career

(30:32):
path opposed to just moving up as a coach.

Speaker 2 (30:36):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (30:36):
And and also like it is it keeps him directly
in like where his bread is buttered, you know what
I mean, Like Kentucky has had some some good tight ends.
But Vince is known as a recruiter. That's what he's
known for. That's what ultimately, that's what he brings to
a staff. So this is ultimately, you know, that's his

(30:57):
sole purpose at Louisville is to recruit, you know, high
school transfer, portal, manage all that stuff. You know, that's
that's where that's where he's he developed his notoriety when
when he is mentioned for jobs, that's the primary reason
why other schools have contacted him in the past. And

(31:19):
so now he gets to focus on what he does best.

Speaker 1 (31:23):
And for the fan base. Is what's been the reaction
for you from U of L fans? Is this like
taking somebody away from UK? Is that the big appeal here?
What's what's been the reaction?

Speaker 5 (31:35):
Well, you know, I find it funny sometimes I sit
back and you know, you just kind of eat the popcorn,
and you're just like, oh, you know, because you know
one fan. You know, on one side, you know, you've
got some people that I was like, well, you know,
he kind of stopped being good this and this, and
I'm like, well, no, he was. He was really good
for a long time. And then on the other side,

(31:57):
you know, they used to look at him and be like, well,
you know he's you know, he floats his own name
for jobs, and he he may not be the brightest,
you know, the sharpest knife of the drawer of this
and this, and now they're like, oh, he's great, what
a great pickup. So I think there's a decent amount
of hypocrisy on both sides going on right now. And

(32:18):
so sometimes it's just fascinated to sit back and watch.

Speaker 1 (32:22):
Uh. Tim Russer at the late Great Political Reporter was
always great about having guests on from you know, all
walks of the political spectrum and just to ask him something.
They answer something and they say, well, that's interesting because
three years ago you said this, So how does that
jive with what you're saying now? Yeah, and no, it
just kind of put it up there and just say, okay,

(32:44):
here's the two things you said which one do you
really believe now?

Speaker 2 (32:48):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (32:50):
And you know, look everybody, everybody's great when they're on
your side, and nobody's great when they're not on your side.

Speaker 1 (32:56):
Yeah. Absolutely. Second story is in your market, the U
of L making it to the College World Series is huge.
And how about the Murray State story. It's such a
cool story with a program like that out of the
Missouri Valley Conference now eight hundred seat stadium making it
to the College World Series.

Speaker 5 (33:18):
You know, I was thinking about this the other day.
You know, Murray State in the world of college baseball,
it feels like it's like a Cinderella story, right, But
you can get hot in the NCAA tournament like George
Mason did when they went to the Final four. You know,
you can get hot and go because all you have
to do is win one game. You know, you just

(33:39):
have to beat that team once. In college baseball, you've
got to survive an entire region, you know, and you've
got to get through. So it is so legit to
get there. It's you know, they have earned their way there.
It's not just a Cinderella which makes it so much
more incredible in my opinion, and to be honest, like
here in Louisville, like Murray State, they've got some local

(34:01):
kids that are wonderful stories. They've got a picture by
the name of Nick Shuddy, who used to be the
starting quarterback at Mail a few years ago, and this
was when Mail was by far the favorite to win
the state championship. Unfortunately, you know, tragedy kind of struck
his family where his father passed away like a day

(34:23):
or two before the state championship game. So think about
what that young man has gone through and now where
he is today. He's gonna play in the College World Series.
You've got another kid from southern Indiana by the name
of Dom Decker. His father, Joe, just a couple of
years ago, was the head coach for Silver Creek Baseball

(34:43):
who won the three A state championship. His mom, Stephanie Decker,
lost both of her legs after the Henryville tornado about
ten or so years ago. So I mean, now, like
this young man and that family, they're playing in College
World Series and he was really good in the Super
Regional against Duke Man.

Speaker 2 (35:04):
This is the good stuff right here.

Speaker 1 (35:07):
Can Spencer, thank you so much, Thank you brother, appreciate it.
Can Spencer from WHS eleven in Louisville. It's the Leads
Report Radio network, and Father's Day is almost here, and
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(36:10):
earned it. Cornbreadhamp dot com. This is the good life,
this is the Lead Report. We'll be right back. Wow
Cat History presented by Kentucky Roadshow Sports Cards and Memorabilia.
They're on Romney Road here in Lexington. You can also
find them at roadshowcards dot Com. A couple of whilecat
birthdays guys that transferred in for the basketball program in
the Caliperry era. Michael Malder went on to play several

(36:33):
years in the NBA, and Jamal Baker, who had a
circuitous route through college basketball, played for several different schools,
one of which was Kentucky. Four times. Happy birthday to
both of those young men. Saw that. Travis Perry and
Coach Beard down at Old Miss did a media session
earlier this week talking about Travis's decision to transfer to

(36:57):
Ole Miss, and he talked about it was a difficult decision,
but he said he was one of the quotes that
I thought was interesting. Being able to play both positions
is something that was big for me. For Perry, I
think at Kentucky was penciled in as a, you know,
a point guard in a backup point guard, certainly for
the coming season. But he was obviously a great score

(37:20):
for Lion County, and so Coach Beard talked about him
being able to be basically just be a guard and play,
you know, both positions in the back court for ole Miss.
Shuffle Being part Shuffling Coffee is one of our great
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(38:01):
Have a good day.