Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good Friday, everybody. We have made it to the end
of the week and we are glad to have you
on board for our discussion of Wow Cat Sports for
the next hour and a few other things as well,
because Richard Skinner will lead us off from Channel twenty
or Channel twelve up at Cincinnati wkre see and we'll
(00:22):
talk a loot Kentucky football with a commitment from the
quarterback from his area, but also a little about the
Reds and the Bengals training camp will be starting soon
as the NFL season is not that far away. And
then Aaron Deershan in the second half of the show,
and Aaron is leaving the Cat's pause. He's been covering
UK sports now for maybe three four years. I'm not
(00:46):
sure what the timeline has been. Anyway, we'll talk with
him about some reflections on that time and also look
ahead at the team that he'll be watching from elsewhere
in the coming seasons. Wildcat News of the Day always
a service of Giuseppies of Lexington. Let us start with
(01:07):
a little news about the NCAA basketball tournaments. No expansion
at least not yet for the men's and women's tournaments.
The committees that would make that decision. Have met this week.
Dan Gavett, who runs the tournaments for the NCAA, said, quote,
it was discussed at length, but no decision or recommendation
(01:29):
was made. Now the discussions will continue and there's still
a chance, whatever the percentage is, that they could get
to seventy two or seventy six teams. A lot of
opposition to it, so we'll see also the world of
NILS changing to some degree. We told you yesterday to
(01:50):
Bill Mage its way through Congress. Don't know if it'll
get passed or not. That could provide some of the
structure that colleges wanted. But for the meantime, they are
operating under that House settlement that we've talked so much
about that took effect at the beginning of this month.
And this is from a story by Stuart Mandel in
(02:12):
The Athletic yesterday. So I'll just read the cover first
couple of paragraphs, just it's easier than trying to condense this.
A new college sports enforcement arm charged with regulating name,
image and likeness payments to athletes, issued guidance yesterday that
could make it extremely difficult for school affiliated collectives to
get their deals with athletes approved. The recently approved House
(02:33):
settlement established a clearing house called nil go that must
approve all third party deals for more than six hundred dollars.
The two main requirements for those deals are that there
for a valid business purpose and within a fair market
range of compensation. So no more the idea is no
(02:53):
more pay for play, which is what it had turned into.
And I think you'll see the media rights holders at
schools in a lot of cases that will maybe be
some in some fashion merging with the collectives to connect
this more to the management from the schools, and we'll
(03:15):
see if they can achieve some of the structure that
they want to this and keep in il closer to
what it was originally designed to do, which was, you know,
if you want to do autograph signings or you want
to do a you know, have an athlete do a
commercial for your business. Now, when you get into market value,
(03:36):
that's a little that's a little more squirrely, I think,
because market value to one person, you know, what might
be what it might be worth to you could be
more than it's worth to me. Still, there is a
certainly a range of what's reasonable or what's you know,
totally outlandish, and you know, you pay somebody a reasonable
(03:57):
rate to do a commercial for your bank or car dealership,
and you can't pay you ten times what's normally paid for.
That supposedly is how this will work. So that is
the new space that we operate in for the time being.
Twenty six point guard Darren Rippy Junior planning to visit
UK on the first weekend of August according to various
(04:18):
media reports. So Kentucky's looking at a variety of prospects
for that twenty six class point Guard Spot and Mark
Pope and company are out on the road a lot
here in July, looking at prospects and trying to lock
up the next class of recruits. Links to the stories
that we talk about each day and you can follow
(04:40):
those on the bud Light Leach Report page at town
leachky dot com. Our opening segment of Wildcat News presented
by Giuseppes of Lexington. They're located off Nicholasville Road here
in Lexington, just pasted man War Boulevard and not hard
to find, but definitely worth the effort because the food
is great, homemade right there in their restaurant. Steaks are
(05:03):
cut my hand, fresh seafood shipped in a lot of
locally sourced ingredients for the sides on their menu, which
you can check out at Juseppes Lexington dot com and
then go to Open Table to make a reservation. It
is the Leech Report, presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises.
Richard Schedder will join us when we come right back.
(05:37):
Inclusion Brands did their bottle signing event with every Buddy JD.
Shelburne last night and they have another one coming up
on Sunday at the Liquor Barn in Etown. It's the
one on North Dixie Highway. Starts at two o'clock on Sunday. JD.
Shelburn's on the label of this Inclusion Brand's bourbon and
you can meet JD, get your bottle signed, see a
(05:59):
little performances well from the newest star of the Grand
Old Lopry and a great Wildcat fan, Ja D. Shelper.
That's coming up Sunday at two at the Liquor Barn
in Eatown. We bring in Richard Skinner from Channel twelve
don't KRS in Cincinnati to talk a little UK and
Cincinnati sports. And let's start with Kentucky football Richard, because
(06:23):
the Wildcats picked up a commitment last weekend from Matt
Ponitowski out of Cincinnati Moler High School. So I'm guessing
that you have seen his game. What do you think?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, it's funny. I remember he got some snaps as
a freshman. I did not see him as a freshman.
But he got some snaps as a freshman. And you
don't do that in the GCL in Cincinnati and the
GCAL South. I mean that's that is literally usually a
junior senior league. If you get snapched as a sophomore, okay,
you've done something. You get snapped as a freshman, Holy cow.
(06:55):
And he didn't do a whole lot as a freshman obviously.
I mean he got some snaps and think through twenty
some odd pass and something like that, and I'd heard
about him. Then then his sophomore year he became a
starter and I saw him like two games I think
as a sophomore. But then I saw him play baseball
as a sophomore like five times. I went whoa left
hand hitting shortstop, big Rangye. I thought, man, this kid's
(07:17):
a heck of a baseball player. And again I didn't
realize his value as a quarterback. I knew of it.
I just didn't realize. I thought, I mean, this kid's
a baseball player. They had another kid who's who started
as a sophomore in baseball, Connor Cuzo, who's a Division
one prospect as well. I think he had eight or
nine home runs last year, and then his last year
he just blew up. I saw him like two or
(07:38):
three times in football, so again another four or five
times in baseball, and I'm trying to figure out which
one is still his best sport. Tom. You know, he's
going to be a draft pick in MLB next year,
and that could throw a monkey wrench into all of
this right the whole. You know, does does he come
to Kentucky? He wants to play both. It's I think
it's an incredible task to take on, as you probably
(08:00):
know two. But man, he spins it. He's big, he's strong,
he's got everything you want. I think his best sport
is baseball. But if you're a Kentucky fan, cross your fingers,
because he's really good in football too. I mean, you're
mister Ohio is a junior, you're pretty good.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Is do you know much about kind of his where
his head is in terms of how committed he is
to wanting to be a college football quarterback and see
and baseball player to see where that can take him.
He's obviously will have the opportunity to go straight to
the pros as a major league player. Won't have that
(08:36):
opportunity to go straight to the NFL. You have to
earn that right in college. How important to him is
is it to have that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, I think he wants to have that opportunity. I
mean it's a rarity. I mean, how Bo Jackson's Dion
Sanders are there. There's not many. And would you like
to try to be one when you have a chance
to be one? I think he would. But as you know,
I mean, money talks right now. The one that nil
does is NIL helps all of that. You know, back
in the day, if you were going to be a
(09:06):
first round Major League baseball pick versus deciding to go
to colleges to play college baseball for a couple of
three years and then get a chance to get drafted again,
it usually all came down to money unless you really
were committed to being a college kid. Today in nil,
I mean, you know, I don't know if you can
match a Major League Baseball signing bonus, but you can
(09:27):
come darn close. So I think they're that factors in
as well, especially if you're a two sport kid. I mean,
I can only imagine what that nil value would be
to have them to, you know, come to Kentucky for
two sports. So I do think that part helps. But
at the same time, if you you know, if Kentucky
offers and I'm just I don't even the ballpark, let's
just say it's a three mil. If they do that
(09:49):
because he's playing two sports, and an MLB team says, no,
we're gonna give you a seven point five mil to sign,
it's probably hard to pass that up. But you know,
there are a lot of guys that not. There's some
guys that college, the college experience is important to them.
I still remember this day Tayshawn Prince. It was one
of my favorite ones of all time when I was
covering Kentucky in basketball and Tayshaw had a chance to
(10:11):
go pros after his junior year and he literally said,
I enjoy college now again, different landscapes, as you know.
I mean, there was no il money back then, there
was no nothing. But he enjoyed the college experience. I
think some guys do, and maybe he's that guy that, Hey,
give me nil. It's not as much as I'm going
to make as a Major League baseball player or signing
bonus wise, that's down the road for me. I'm gonna
(10:31):
I'm gonna get that at some point as well. I'll
do that, and I want to try to do both.
I think he does want to try to do both.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
If you have the Florida kids, after they won the
title in seventy in two thousand and six, that the
financial the best of financial decisions, that's right for at
least for some of them to go into the NBA,
and they just were having fun and so they continued
to do what they do. I think, correct me if
I'm wrong. The rule is still that if you don't
(10:58):
as a baseball player, don't go in to the draft,
that you're in college for three years.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yeah, un till your junior year ye yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
So, and you're not going to go to the NFL
early like the NBA. So if he decides to do college,
all you have to worry about is the transfer portal.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
If the landscape has changed so much, especially in that
regard and that's the thing I think that's really hard
for him, trying to do both. Right. So let's just
you know, you're playing baseball in the spring, and maybe
you make a handful of spring practices. Yet here comes
the hot shot transfer portal quarterback that comes in and
he gets all of spring to get ahead start on you,
and then it happens again the next year and then
(11:39):
the next year. That's I think this is a big
ask to try to do both, especially today, especially when
you have those guys coming in. I mean, he is
a special talent. I'm not gonna lie that Part's that
part is undoubtable. Again, There's not many more. There's not
many six foot four, left handed hitting shortstops that grows
on trees other than Eli Daily Cruise. I mean, those
guys are just rare dudes. He's a quarterback on top
(12:01):
of it. But I do think he wants to try
to do both. I think he wants that challenge and
I'm really interested to see if he tries to pull
this off.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
And and the other thing that I always remember too,
is he's playing at a you know, a very high
level being a kid at Moler.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, No, I mean in both sports, I mean, uh,
you know, their football schedule is just top notch. I
think I'm pretty sure I have this off the top
of my head. I think they open with Trinity this
coming season, and so I think when you're playing out
of state.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
It's at uh maybe Thomas Vores Field.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
That sounds right, Yeah, that sounds right. So I mean, yeah,
that's that's a pretty it's a pretty good place to start.
And then, like I said, you know, the g CL
South is not big, but if some people in your
area have heard of these schools because they're pretty well known.
Saint Xavier of Cincinnati with Sal Elder, I mean, all
legacy kind of schools. That's the league. There's only three
league games, but they always scheduled tough out of the
league games and uh, you know, scheduling at Trinity and
(12:55):
vice versus a good Fratrinity to play them too. You know,
that's that's a pretty good place to still. So yeah,
they played just a really good schedule on top of
everything else.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Talk with Richard Skinner from Channel twelve. It's at Local
twelve Skinny on X and we'll come back Tuckle Reds
and Bengals when we return. It is the Leach Report
presented by Bobcat Enterprises. They have four locations around Kentucky,
so google them when you need to buy or rent
heavy equipment and they will have what you need. And
the other thing that they're really known for is the
service after the sale or the rental agreement is executed.
(13:25):
They'll take great care of you at Bobcat Enterprises. So
if I passed the time of the hour. Richard Skinners
(13:46):
with us worked for the Catspaws for a time at
cover UK sports and he's been up now at KC
and Cincinnati for a long stretch covering some UK sports
but also a lot of Reds and Bengals. Bengals training
camps starting pretty soon, right.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Two weeks from two days ago. The twenty third we
have are what we call Mock Turtle Soup Day. On
the twenty first, it's the media luncheons, the one time
of year get a chance to talk to Mike Brown.
But yeah, coming up very very quickly training camp and
still a couple of key guys who haven't signed yet
and Trey Hendrickson Shamar Stewart, So we'll see if they
get those things done between now and actually literally twelve
(14:29):
days from now. But by the time camp starts.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
With Joe Burrow, they had an offense by the end
of last season that would have been good enough to
win a Super Bowl had they been able to get
into the playoffs, and they came up just short. How
does it look as far as closing the gap on
where they fell short last year.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
It's a great question. That's the big big thing. They
changed defensive coordinators. They fired lou An A. Rumo, who
I really liked personally and he's now the defensive coordinator
with the Colts. But they needed a new voice in
Al Golden, who was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame,
the linebackers coach with the Bengals the year they went
to the Super Bowl, so he's familiar with the organization.
They're familiar with him, and they've brought him in to
(15:06):
be the coordinator. They've they've tried to address some things
on defense. They signed a defensive tackle from the Packers
and TJ. Slayton, who's more of a nose tackle type
and they needed that. They needed a run stopper inside.
They lost DJ Readers a free agency last year and
they really missed him.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
You know.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
They drafted Shamar Stewart to add to the edge rush mix,
except the fact he's not signed. They drafted a couple
of linebackers, one who's gonna start, Dmetrius Knight, except he's
not signed. And they've got a bunch of cornerbacks that
have either been hurt or have not played well at times,
have played great at times. So I do believe they
(15:44):
think Al Golden can get more out of them. It
doesn't have to be a top match defense. To your point,
I mean that offense is going to score a ton
of points. You know, this is one rare training camp
that Joe Berg goes into healthy. His wide receivers got
signed to extensions, and t Higgins and Jamar Chay and
everybody's happy and healthy and all of those things. So
they're going to score points and they're going to hit
the ground running. The key thing is can Al go
(16:07):
and get this defense. I mean literally, if you got
the middle of the pack, and even less than middle
of the pack. This is a playoff super Bowl team,
and that's his task to try to get that defense
to that point.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Well, baseball conversation now, as we're they're coming up on
the it's the gout of the unofficial midway point of
the season with the All Star Game next week, and
the Reds got out of the Marlin series with a
split down the other Rockies. They need to make some
hay here. But how optimistic do you think Reds fans
have a right to be that they could get the
(16:38):
level of consistency it would take to make a run
at least a wild Card.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yeah. I think that's the thing. It's the level of consistency. Right.
So they come out of the Philly series and lose
that series, that's fine. I mean, their Phillies are great.
You know, they lose the last game to Zack Wheeler
pitches a one hit or he was great, and then
you just you shrug your shoulders of that and go, Okay,
seven games this week, four with the Marlins, three with
the Rockies. This is got to be a five and
two week at worst. And they lose the first two,
(17:04):
but then they come back and win the last two,
and now they're gonna have to swoot the Rockies to
make it a five and two series. You do that,
I think there's there's some legitimate belief. I think a
lot of it hinges on Hunter Green's health. You know,
he had a set back in Philly through a bullpen session.
He's on the il with a groin injury, said he
felt in discomfort. I guess the good news is they
did another MRI and it didn't show any any you know,
(17:25):
significant damage. So I think it's a matter of his
his pain tolerance and his comfort level. You know, you've
got some time here because of the All Star break,
But if this lingers into August and you're not having
Hunter Green, you know you're having Hunter Green miss another
three to five to six, seven to eight to twelve starts.
That factors in significantly. But if you get him back
(17:45):
and Nicolodolo pitched great last night, and Andy Rabbit's going
to the All Star Game, and rookie Chase Burns says, says,
you know, the three starts have been wildly all over
the planet. The great start against the Yankees, the awful
start against the Red Sox, the bounce back start against
the Phillies. You have a chance to make some hay
to your point and make a run of the playoff.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
First, Richard, I appreciate the time as always.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Thank you you bet Tom, take care, Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Richard Skinner from Channel twelve at Local twelve, skinning on
X and WKRCTV after the Cincinnati Market. We're halfway home
on this Friday edition of The Leech Report, coming to
you from the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return refresh and
refuel at Clarkson and get into their Loyalty Rewards program
game discounts. When you fill up. We'll be right back.
(18:39):
Its the Leech Report, presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises
and joining us now Eric Gershaan from caspause dot Com
for a little while longer, but you've entered the transfer portal.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Yes, I guess that's correct, but yeah, today is actually
my last day. Oh so, yeah it is. It's bittersweet,
but uh yeah, we'll be taking on a new a
new job here on Monday, and you know, excited about that,
but obviously bittersweet. And have enjoyed the heck at all
(19:12):
my years on the beat, you know, three three seasons
with the Cat's Paws, seven total. But uh, you know,
this is goodbye for now, but you never know down
the road. You know, I love it here and we'll
see what happens in the future. But this was just
the right step for my fiance and I for now.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Are you at liberty to say what's next? Or we
get down on Monday.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna be a sports information director down
at a school down in Florida, New College of Florida.
And you know, the the you know, opportunity just came
with a chance to move closer to some family down
there and you know, all all honesty, some more money
and better benefits for the family that you know, we
(19:54):
felt was important to take at this time.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
And you know, it's amazing a lot of people put
stock in that.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Yeah, yeah, just you know, maybe maybe it's a little important,
but uh yeah, and uh you know obviously you know,
to kind of shift into the communication side of things,
and an opportunity to run their you know, information department
and maybe you know this opens doors uh in the
in the bigger schools in the future and maybe just
at UK who knows. So, uh, it was just an
(20:21):
opportunity we felt was right at this time.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
And uh, you know again, I'm.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
It's very very bittersweet because I absolutely love the Catspaws.
I don't there's no it was It's very hard to leave,
but uh, it was just something we felt we had.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
To do well best wishes on that and kind of
going into a new part of the sports media business,
so you get to to learn from the other side
or what it's like and then who knows where that
takes you. So that's, uh, it could be fun.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Good for you. Yeah, I appreciate it. Yeah, the more
you can do, the better is what I've learned. So
get to get to learn a lot of new stuff
and just continue adding to the tool block. So I'm
excited for it, But again, bittersweet.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
What has What do you are some of the memories
of whether it's a particular interview or a game or
something that you'll have from your time on this beat.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
I guess I hate to be negative first, but I
think the one that stands out the most first is
the Saint Peter's game. Just the shock and everything that
was going on in that building, you know, and you know,
I take Oakland out of it, because the Saint Peter's
one was just unprecedented in New k history. Kentucky had
(21:37):
never under cal Perry. I actually don't think they even
lost in the first round, let alone to a fifteen seed,
and just that whole building. You felt the energy, you know,
it was like a Kentucky home game, being an Indian
playing against the school that they're from, New Jersey. I
grew up an hour from the school, and I had
never heard of the school before the game, and just
(21:58):
you could feel the energy shift in that building. So
that one, for me is takes the cake. But you know,
other ones on brighter notes, like I think one of
the game I talk about all the time that twenty
nineteen Belt Bowl down in Charlotte, which it was a
great atmosphere there in that stadium. This was you know, yeah,
(22:19):
you had opt outs at the time, but it still
felt like these smaller, if you will, Bowl games were
still you know, these teams really and not to say
they don't want it now, but both teams, I don't
think any of them had opt outs. Virginia Tech or Kentucky.
You had, you know, Virginia Tech their defensive coordinator who
was there forever was coaching his last game. And you
know Linn Bowden, you had all the fireworks before the
(22:41):
game where they almost got into a fight at the
NASCAR event. They did get on into a fight pre
game on the field, and then he he backs that
up by running for like two hundred and fifty yards
and throwing the game winning touchdown when he hasn't thrown
the ball all game. So you know, those are those
are two games that stand out. I mean, more positive
melt with basketball. I mean, the Pope press conference is
(23:04):
still on, just asking a question front of twenty five
thousand people. I didn't think I'd ever have to do
that one. Just that's so Kentucky. No other place that'll
be like it. But you know, this just this whole season,
you know, with Pope and seeing the fan base kind
of I wouldn't say, you know, they'll always be and
always were in love with this, with this program, but
(23:26):
it did just kind of feel like they needed a
jolt and they needed something different to kind of reignite
the spark just a little bit. In this whole season.
I think, you know, some of the wins they had
at home, the Florida game, the Louisville game, and you know,
just the brand of basketball they played, the different attitude
from the coach, if you will, the new level of
(23:49):
intensity that he brought in the you know, very outgoing,
very much you know, embracing the fan base and kind
of just shifting the energy a little bit. This whole
season was by far the most fun basketball season I covered,
and you know, dups and downs of it even but yeah,
so those are just the ones that stand out on
(24:10):
the top of my head.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Yeah you uh bek Ah. Several good points in there,
the one about last season, and this doesn't get to
happen often at a place like Kentucky, but nobody really knew
the team was so new and didn't know a lot
about the guys that were coming in, so the expectations
bar maybe wasn't quite where it normally is, and that
(24:34):
is getting reset now, but for that one year, it was,
you know, just heavy for Kentucky basketball fans. I think
I would get to hear this express you may have
too from talking to fans that it was just more
fun again, uh, And I don't know everybody put a
(24:54):
could exactly fully explain that, but it just felt that way. Oh,
there's no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
It was more fun. And I think part of it
was just the access I think they had to the
coach and the players, and I just think they put
themselves out a little bit. And Cal was great at
it earlier in his tenure and even right before COVID,
I thought, and it just kind of something changed and
you know it was time to move on. And that's okay.
You know, he's he's kind of you see, he's kind
(25:23):
of doing what he did at Arkansas as far as
access goes a little bit. Just now he had an
open practice of the media. I don't remember the last
time that happened, and you know, so maybe it just
needed to happen that way. But you know, from day one,
Mark Pope has been extremely accessible to the fans. You know,
he stays after all these games with you on radio
and he'll sign autographs for as long as he can. He's,
(25:47):
you know, just wanting to get them involved as much
as he can, and you just he's embracing them and
he has since day one, just knowing what this place
is like, having played here and won a national championship here,
and I think to him, kind of you go back
to that introductory press conference, which obviously he nailed, and
him going through all these things that you know, Kentucky
(26:09):
wanted to get back to doing, you know, from the
smaller I wouldn't say smaller, but even just listing off
how important winning in the SEC tournament is again and
that got the fan base fired up, and you could see,
you know, you could see it after every loss they
had it, how it would eat at him and how
you know, disgusted he was. And it was just that that,
(26:30):
I think alone was refreshing and brought the sandbase even
closer and back in, like yeah, we we we shouldn't
get used to losing around here, like this is bothering
our head coach again. So and not that it wasn't
bothering CALC, just the way that Pope publicly displayed it.
So yeah, I think it was just more fun. I
(26:50):
think again, the style of basketball, the way that Pope
embraced being here and the fans, the players really just
soaking it all in and you know, talking so much
about you know, wearing Kentucky across their chest. I mean again,
that's There have been plenty of players in the Calira
who have done similar things, and you know, many of
(27:10):
whom still talk about it to this day and still
are supporting the program with the changing the guard. But
there's something unique about this group where it just seems
to mean a little extra to them, or at least
they made it more public so the fan base really
understood it. And anytime they do that, the fan base
is going to embrace them forever.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Talking to Eric Gershan for one more day from Katzpause
dot Com at a Gershan ninety nine on X and
we'll continue the conversation here in just a moment. As
we headed the break, let me remind you about the
bottle signing coming up Sunday at the Liquor Barn in
Etown for our friend JD. Shelburne Inclusion Brands has a
new bourbon out with JD on the label, and he'll
(27:52):
be there signing and he'll be doing a little performance
on Sunday two o'clock to four Eastern time at the
Liquor Barn in Etown. And I saw a tweet from
JD where he signed a lot of extra bottles, So
if you didn't get one last night at the signing
event here in Lexington the Liquor Barn in Beaumont Center,
you can swing by and pick up a sign bottle
even though you missed the event. We'll be right back
(28:14):
on the Lake Report Radio Network. It's the Lake Report
for the Clark's Pump and Chef Studio, Return, Refresh and
(28:37):
Refuel at Clark's. We're talking about Aaron Gershom from katzpause
dot com and he was talking about Mark Pope's first
season at Kentucky. Let's get into the second season a
little bit. You'll be watching it from Florida Unfold aired.
But this was Jadie Quayton's earlier this week, one of
the new players, first year transfer from Arizona State, talking
(28:58):
about the fact that he thinks could he could be
a special team defensively.
Speaker 4 (29:02):
I feel like we could be one of the best
defensive teams in the country. We have a really like
long team everybody. We have a lot of height end
length on our team, and everybody's buying in like everybody's committing.
We have people pushing full court, guarding full court. We
have people in the backcourt in gaps and help in rotation.
So I feel like we have a really good chance
to be special to share defensively.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
I was looking at Kenpalm dot com. Aaron last year
on two point field goal percentage for the opponent, Kentucky
was two hundred and ninety fifth I think a little
over fifty three percent for the opponent. Three of the
four teams in the final four were in the top
twenty in that stat and the fourth, Auburn, was twenty ninth,
(29:43):
so all four final four teams were in the top thirty.
Kentucky was two ninety fifth. Kentucky gonna be a whole
lot better, I think the two ninety five in that
stat this year. That's just one example of why all
the talk about defense can be significant. And you know,
if guys like a Quaintance are blocking shots, they're getting
more steels out on the perimeter with Diabate and others,
(30:03):
that will fuel the pace at which they want to
play even and faster.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Yeah, Mark Pope wasn't necessarily hiding his cards with his
transfer portal strategy. It was to get longer and better
on the defensive end and get more physical, there's no question,
and he's admitted as such.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Obviously, Jaden Quainton's is the top example of that, a
guy who you know, six' nine seven to three wingspan
was averaging two and a half blocks per game last
year before THE acl, injury all at The big twelve
defensive team as a true as a sixteen year. Old
so that's the guy who's kind of the poster child of.
It but you look At Mohammad, diabate who's a guy
(30:44):
who was able to guard one through five last year
In alabama as a team obviously plays a very similar
style To, kentucky and they've had their defensive struggles the
last couple of years as, Well but that's the guy
that they didn't have to worry about, defensively and he
is just he's very physical. Presence you saw the struggles
he was the trouble he Gave kentucky in all three
(31:06):
matchups on that end of the court when they played against.
Them so and then that's a labordeen six y five
at the on the. WING i, mean he's a guy
that was a really really good defender At florida this past.
Year Cam williams is a guy who's probably maybe the
most underrated edition from a defensive. Standpoint offensively maybe, two
(31:26):
but defensively at six eight in a wigging spin above,
seven he blocked over a shot per game and averaged
over a steel per. Game so it was a clear
emphasis this offseason that the physicality and defense had to
get much much. Better and you, know you liked what
they did on, paper and you, KNOW i totally. Agree
(31:47):
THERE'S i would, say unless there's a rash of injuries,
again which you hope doesn't. Happen there's no chance in.
Heck they are two hundred and ninety fifth and two
point defensive percentage, again but they should take a pretty
massive step. Forward and the way they're talking about defense
this year compared to, LAST i, mean quite, FRANKLY i
don't remember many defensive conversations this time last. Year and
(32:10):
that's not a knock on the. Guys it's JUST i, think,
look you, know you these players, learn you, know and
they grow year to, year, right AND i think it's
similar for the. Coaches and this is not to Say Mark.
Pope Obviously Mark pope is way smarter Than i'll ever,
be and smarter than a lot of. People but so
it's not to say he didn't emphasize defense or care about,
defense but he, hadn't you, know no one had played
(32:33):
in THE sec like like last. YEAR i, mean it
was just a ridiculous, league and you kind of see
what it took to win in the, league and what
it took to win in the league was he had
to be obviously had to score a bunch of, points
but he also to be ridiculously physical and be able
to win some boxing matches out. There And kentucky just
wasn't able to really do, that And Mark pope, Said,
(32:54):
okay live and. Learn we're gonna make sure we put
our best foot forward to where we're not going to
let that happen again this. Year and he bought, it
and he put together team on paper that should not
be an. Issue and even if you you, know the
three point percentage drops by one or two, percent not
saying it, will but even if it, does you know
that physicality is going to make up for it and
(33:14):
you're going to be able to win some games or
maybe you're not scoring in the high, eighties nineties and.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Hundreds some of the guys From pope's first team are
involved in THE Nba Summer, league which ramped up last.
Night cleveland lost to The pacers one sixteen to one to.
Fifteen Jackson robinson did get, sea actually played fourteen, minutes
did not score zero for three from the. Field but
you're talking about coming off an injury in his first
game since. YEP i mean he's played played that one
game a half of a game At oklahoma since the
(33:41):
end Of. January SO i don't Think i'd put too
much stock into that one set line last, Night BUT
i have rooting for him just because he dealt such
a nasty curve ball.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
There, YEAH i couldn't agree. More he really, did and
he Was, look he was playing tremendously before that. INJURY
i mean he was shooting fifty two PERCENT i think
in this from three in the seven games before the. Injury,
obviously The Mississippi state game is well got him on the.
Roll but he ALSO i, mean he had a huge
game at home Against TEXAS a AND, m a game
(34:12):
you could tell him and a lot to him having
played for that program and you, know wanting to stick
it to him a little. Bit you, know he had
a really big game even though he actually shot the
ball pretty well Against arkansas game they lost, Obviously and
there was another one where he was up in the
twenties that's slipping my mind in that seven game stretch,
there but uh oh the game At tennessee was a
(34:32):
big game for him as. Well so, yeah that seven
game stretch before the, injury that was The Jackson robinson
that they were waiting for for two. Months if you
remember when he was going through THAT nba draft, process
and you, Know kentucky fans were anxiously waiting to see
whether he'd pull his name out and if he did
what he transferred and Followed Mark, Pope so you know
(34:53):
that that was what you were starting to. See and
then he you, know tries to gut it out in
his home state there In. Oklahoma you, know, unfortunately you,
know obviously didn't go as. Plans so you, know you
hate to, see like you, said the cards he was
kind of dealt having to have the surgery when he.
Did that kind of kept him from having workouts to
the last minute and kind of made it hard FOR
(35:14):
nba teams to pull the trigger on. Him but you,
know hopefully once he gets under his feat under him
a little, bit, uh you can have a big summer
league and then, hopefully you, know play his way to
a spot where you, know he can't get up to
the big.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
League Eric gershawan katzpause Dot com through today and then
headed into the sports information field Sports communications down In
florida Starting. Monday best of luck on the new. Gig
it's been fun working with. You done a great job
covering The. Cats, yeah, yeah we'll we'll continue to follow the.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
CAREER i appreciate. It you, KNOW i won't be a.
Stranger i'll Be i'll be watching. Listening i'll get to
listen to you. More so that's a that's a great
thing for, Me SO i look forward to.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
It thank, You, ared good, luck you got. It that
is Erin grosha and joining us here on The Leach
report is we head to the. Break let me tell
you that this is the last day of The Prime
day sale for Corn Bread, hemp in which you could
get thirty percent off their full lineup of hemp. Products
it's exclusively on their website at cornbreadhamp dot. Com the
(36:18):
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(36:38):
for safety and. Purity so check them out and take
advantage of the great deal with The prime sale at
cornbreadhimp dot. Com we'll be right back on The Leach
Report Radio. Network it's The Lakes report presented By Bobcat.
(37:04):
Enterprises so so We're Jacob tompin signed a two year
deal with The. Hawks they play AN Nba Summer league
game this. Afternoon actually it'll be on THE espn, two
so you can check Out jacob. There Read sheppard also
place his First Summer league game tonight with The. Rockets
they take on The clippers and that's out In vegas
(37:25):
at Ten eastern time ON NBA tv AND Espn. Plus
stay A Wildcat history of service Of Kentucky roadshow sports
cards and. Memorabilia they're On Romney road In lexington at
roadshowcards dot. Com we heard From Jaden quaintan's. Earlier It's
jaq's birthday. Today happy birthday to him and Former kentucky
assistant Coach Rod. Strickland happy birthday To. Rod Shufflebean coffee
(37:48):
is the official coffee Of Rope arena and THE Kfc
Young center and Several lexington. Restaurants make it the official
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A Central Kentucky. Myers you can also order Through, amazon
or you can find Shuffle Being coffee through the company's
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(38:11):
more than a. Decade here on The Leech, Report Great,
Partners Great coffee starts with the best coffee. Beans put
some hustle in your shuffle today With Shufflebean. Coffee Trey
mitchell's going to play in the basketball, tournament but not
with Lat, Familia so he's going to play with the
team Of West virginia alums And keelan offering a program
(38:32):
of twenty two stakes races worth almost eleven million dollars
at The Fall meat that Starts october. Third public ticket
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well so you don't have access to. THOSE. Jd shlber's
bottle signing don't forget that at The Liquor barn In
Etown sunday at. Two this is The Inclusion brands bourbon
(38:52):
that Has JD's picture on the, label and he'll be
there signing and performing On sunday at two at The
Liquor barn In. Etown it for The Leads. Report i'm
gonna take a little time off and UH i do
have a pre recorded show coming up On, monday so
a lot OF uk football talk. There enjoyed that and
have a great. Weekend Everybody Leads report at gmail dot
(39:13):
com and check out his website At tom Leech ky dot.
Speaker 4 (39:17):
Com
Good Friday, everybody. We have made it to the end
of the week and we are glad to have you
on board for our discussion of Wow Cat Sports for
the next hour and a few other things as well,
because Richard Skinner will lead us off from Channel twenty
or Channel twelve up at Cincinnati wkre see and we'll
(00:22):
talk a loot Kentucky football with a commitment from the
quarterback from his area, but also a little about the
Reds and the Bengals training camp will be starting soon
as the NFL season is not that far away. And
then Aaron Deershan in the second half of the show,
and Aaron is leaving the Cat's pause. He's been covering
UK sports now for maybe three four years. I'm not
(00:46):
sure what the timeline has been. Anyway, we'll talk with
him about some reflections on that time and also look
ahead at the team that he'll be watching from elsewhere
in the coming seasons. Wildcat News of the Day always
a service of Giuseppies of Lexington. Let us start with
(01:07):
a little news about the NCAA basketball tournaments. No expansion
at least not yet for the men's and women's tournaments.
The committees that would make that decision. Have met this week.
Dan Gavett, who runs the tournaments for the NCAA, said, quote,
it was discussed at length, but no decision or recommendation
(01:29):
was made. Now the discussions will continue and there's still
a chance, whatever the percentage is, that they could get
to seventy two or seventy six teams. A lot of
opposition to it, so we'll see also the world of
NILS changing to some degree. We told you yesterday to
(01:50):
Bill Mage its way through Congress. Don't know if it'll
get passed or not. That could provide some of the
structure that colleges wanted. But for the meantime, they are
operating under that House settlement that we've talked so much
about that took effect at the beginning of this month.
And this is from a story by Stuart Mandel in
(02:12):
The Athletic yesterday. So I'll just read the cover first
couple of paragraphs, just it's easier than trying to condense this.
A new college sports enforcement arm charged with regulating name,
image and likeness payments to athletes, issued guidance yesterday that
could make it extremely difficult for school affiliated collectives to
get their deals with athletes approved. The recently approved House
(02:33):
settlement established a clearing house called nil go that must
approve all third party deals for more than six hundred dollars.
The two main requirements for those deals are that there
for a valid business purpose and within a fair market
range of compensation. So no more the idea is no
(02:53):
more pay for play, which is what it had turned into.
And I think you'll see the media rights holders at
schools in a lot of cases that will maybe be
some in some fashion merging with the collectives to connect
this more to the management from the schools, and we'll
(03:15):
see if they can achieve some of the structure that
they want to this and keep in il closer to
what it was originally designed to do, which was, you know,
if you want to do autograph signings or you want
to do a you know, have an athlete do a
commercial for your business. Now, when you get into market value,
(03:36):
that's a little that's a little more squirrely, I think,
because market value to one person, you know, what might
be what it might be worth to you could be
more than it's worth to me. Still, there is a
certainly a range of what's reasonable or what's you know,
totally outlandish, and you know, you pay somebody a reasonable
(03:57):
rate to do a commercial for your bank or car dealership,
and you can't pay you ten times what's normally paid for.
That supposedly is how this will work. So that is
the new space that we operate in for the time being.
Twenty six point guard Darren Rippy Junior planning to visit
UK on the first weekend of August according to various
(04:18):
media reports. So Kentucky's looking at a variety of prospects
for that twenty six class point Guard Spot and Mark
Pope and company are out on the road a lot
here in July, looking at prospects and trying to lock
up the next class of recruits. Links to the stories
that we talk about each day and you can follow
(04:40):
those on the bud Light Leach Report page at town
leachky dot com. Our opening segment of Wildcat News presented
by Giuseppes of Lexington. They're located off Nicholasville Road here
in Lexington, just pasted man War Boulevard and not hard
to find, but definitely worth the effort because the food
is great, homemade right there in their restaurant. Steaks are
(05:03):
cut my hand, fresh seafood shipped in a lot of
locally sourced ingredients for the sides on their menu, which
you can check out at Juseppes Lexington dot com and
then go to Open Table to make a reservation. It
is the Leech Report, presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises.
Richard Schedder will join us when we come right back.
(05:37):
Inclusion Brands did their bottle signing event with every Buddy JD.
Shelburne last night and they have another one coming up
on Sunday at the Liquor Barn in Etown. It's the
one on North Dixie Highway. Starts at two o'clock on Sunday. JD.
Shelburn's on the label of this Inclusion Brand's bourbon and
you can meet JD, get your bottle signed, see a
(05:59):
little performances well from the newest star of the Grand
Old Lopry and a great Wildcat fan, Ja D. Shelper.
That's coming up Sunday at two at the Liquor Barn
in Eatown. We bring in Richard Skinner from Channel twelve
don't KRS in Cincinnati to talk a little UK and
Cincinnati sports. And let's start with Kentucky football Richard, because
(06:23):
the Wildcats picked up a commitment last weekend from Matt
Ponitowski out of Cincinnati Moler High School. So I'm guessing
that you have seen his game. What do you think?
Speaker 2 (06:34):
Yeah, it's funny. I remember he got some snaps as
a freshman. I did not see him as a freshman.
But he got some snaps as a freshman. And you
don't do that in the GCL in Cincinnati and the
GCAL South. I mean that's that is literally usually a
junior senior league. If you get snapched as a sophomore, okay,
you've done something. You get snapped as a freshman, Holy cow.
(06:55):
And he didn't do a whole lot as a freshman obviously.
I mean he got some snaps and think through twenty
some odd pass and something like that, and I'd heard
about him. Then then his sophomore year he became a
starter and I saw him like two games I think
as a sophomore. But then I saw him play baseball
as a sophomore like five times. I went whoa left
hand hitting shortstop, big Rangye. I thought, man, this kid's
(07:17):
a heck of a baseball player. And again I didn't
realize his value as a quarterback. I knew of it.
I just didn't realize. I thought, I mean, this kid's
a baseball player. They had another kid who's who started
as a sophomore in baseball, Connor Cuzo, who's a Division
one prospect as well. I think he had eight or
nine home runs last year, and then his last year
he just blew up. I saw him like two or
(07:38):
three times in football, so again another four or five
times in baseball, and I'm trying to figure out which
one is still his best sport. Tom. You know, he's
going to be a draft pick in MLB next year,
and that could throw a monkey wrench into all of
this right the whole. You know, does does he come
to Kentucky? He wants to play both. It's I think
it's an incredible task to take on, as you probably
(08:00):
know two. But man, he spins it. He's big, he's strong,
he's got everything you want. I think his best sport
is baseball. But if you're a Kentucky fan, cross your fingers,
because he's really good in football too. I mean, you're
mister Ohio is a junior, you're pretty good.
Speaker 1 (08:16):
Is do you know much about kind of his where
his head is in terms of how committed he is
to wanting to be a college football quarterback and see
and baseball player to see where that can take him.
He's obviously will have the opportunity to go straight to
the pros as a major league player. Won't have that
(08:36):
opportunity to go straight to the NFL. You have to
earn that right in college. How important to him is
is it to have that opportunity.
Speaker 2 (08:45):
Yeah, I think he wants to have that opportunity. I
mean it's a rarity. I mean, how Bo Jackson's Dion
Sanders are there. There's not many. And would you like
to try to be one when you have a chance
to be one? I think he would. But as you know,
I mean, money talks right now. The one that nil
does is NIL helps all of that. You know, back
in the day, if you were going to be a
(09:06):
first round Major League baseball pick versus deciding to go
to colleges to play college baseball for a couple of
three years and then get a chance to get drafted again,
it usually all came down to money unless you really
were committed to being a college kid. Today in nil,
I mean, you know, I don't know if you can
match a Major League Baseball signing bonus, but you can
(09:27):
come darn close. So I think they're that factors in
as well, especially if you're a two sport kid. I mean,
I can only imagine what that nil value would be
to have them to, you know, come to Kentucky for
two sports. So I do think that part helps. But
at the same time, if you you know, if Kentucky
offers and I'm just I don't even the ballpark, let's
just say it's a three mil. If they do that
(09:49):
because he's playing two sports, and an MLB team says, no,
we're gonna give you a seven point five mil to sign,
it's probably hard to pass that up. But you know,
there are a lot of guys that not. There's some
guys that college, the college experience is important to them.
I still remember this day Tayshawn Prince. It was one
of my favorite ones of all time when I was
covering Kentucky in basketball and Tayshaw had a chance to
(10:11):
go pros after his junior year and he literally said,
I enjoy college now again, different landscapes, as you know.
I mean, there was no il money back then, there
was no nothing. But he enjoyed the college experience. I
think some guys do, and maybe he's that guy that, Hey,
give me nil. It's not as much as I'm going
to make as a Major League baseball player or signing
bonus wise, that's down the road for me. I'm gonna
(10:31):
I'm gonna get that at some point as well. I'll
do that, and I want to try to do both.
I think he does want to try to do both.
Speaker 1 (10:38):
If you have the Florida kids, after they won the
title in seventy in two thousand and six, that the
financial the best of financial decisions, that's right for at
least for some of them to go into the NBA,
and they just were having fun and so they continued
to do what they do. I think, correct me if
I'm wrong. The rule is still that if you don't
(10:58):
as a baseball player, don't go in to the draft,
that you're in college for three years.
Speaker 2 (11:03):
Yeah, un till your junior year ye yeah.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
So, and you're not going to go to the NFL
early like the NBA. So if he decides to do college,
all you have to worry about is the transfer portal.
Speaker 2 (11:18):
If the landscape has changed so much, especially in that
regard and that's the thing I think that's really hard
for him, trying to do both. Right. So let's just
you know, you're playing baseball in the spring, and maybe
you make a handful of spring practices. Yet here comes
the hot shot transfer portal quarterback that comes in and
he gets all of spring to get ahead start on you,
and then it happens again the next year and then
(11:39):
the next year. That's I think this is a big
ask to try to do both, especially today, especially when
you have those guys coming in. I mean, he is
a special talent. I'm not gonna lie that Part's that
part is undoubtable. Again, There's not many more. There's not
many six foot four, left handed hitting shortstops that grows
on trees other than Eli Daily Cruise. I mean, those
guys are just rare dudes. He's a quarterback on top
(12:01):
of it. But I do think he wants to try
to do both. I think he wants that challenge and
I'm really interested to see if he tries to pull
this off.
Speaker 1 (12:09):
And and the other thing that I always remember too,
is he's playing at a you know, a very high
level being a kid at Moler.
Speaker 2 (12:17):
Yeah, No, I mean in both sports, I mean, uh,
you know, their football schedule is just top notch. I
think I'm pretty sure I have this off the top
of my head. I think they open with Trinity this
coming season, and so I think when you're playing out
of state.
Speaker 1 (12:30):
It's at uh maybe Thomas Vores Field.
Speaker 2 (12:33):
That sounds right, Yeah, that sounds right. So I mean, yeah,
that's that's a pretty it's a pretty good place to start.
And then, like I said, you know, the g CL
South is not big, but if some people in your
area have heard of these schools because they're pretty well known.
Saint Xavier of Cincinnati with Sal Elder, I mean, all
legacy kind of schools. That's the league. There's only three
league games, but they always scheduled tough out of the
league games and uh, you know, scheduling at Trinity and
(12:55):
vice versus a good Fratrinity to play them too. You know,
that's that's a pretty good place to still. So yeah,
they played just a really good schedule on top of
everything else.
Speaker 1 (13:03):
Talk with Richard Skinner from Channel twelve. It's at Local
twelve Skinny on X and we'll come back Tuckle Reds
and Bengals when we return. It is the Leach Report
presented by Bobcat Enterprises. They have four locations around Kentucky,
so google them when you need to buy or rent
heavy equipment and they will have what you need. And
the other thing that they're really known for is the
service after the sale or the rental agreement is executed.
(13:25):
They'll take great care of you at Bobcat Enterprises. So
if I passed the time of the hour. Richard Skinners
(13:46):
with us worked for the Catspaws for a time at
cover UK sports and he's been up now at KC
and Cincinnati for a long stretch covering some UK sports
but also a lot of Reds and Bengals. Bengals training
camps starting pretty soon, right.
Speaker 2 (14:05):
Two weeks from two days ago. The twenty third we
have are what we call Mock Turtle Soup Day. On
the twenty first, it's the media luncheons, the one time
of year get a chance to talk to Mike Brown.
But yeah, coming up very very quickly training camp and
still a couple of key guys who haven't signed yet
and Trey Hendrickson Shamar Stewart, So we'll see if they
get those things done between now and actually literally twelve
(14:29):
days from now. But by the time camp starts.
Speaker 1 (14:31):
With Joe Burrow, they had an offense by the end
of last season that would have been good enough to
win a Super Bowl had they been able to get
into the playoffs, and they came up just short. How
does it look as far as closing the gap on
where they fell short last year.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
It's a great question. That's the big big thing. They
changed defensive coordinators. They fired lou An A. Rumo, who
I really liked personally and he's now the defensive coordinator
with the Colts. But they needed a new voice in
Al Golden, who was the defensive coordinator at Notre Dame,
the linebackers coach with the Bengals the year they went
to the Super Bowl, so he's familiar with the organization.
They're familiar with him, and they've brought him in to
(15:06):
be the coordinator. They've they've tried to address some things
on defense. They signed a defensive tackle from the Packers
and TJ. Slayton, who's more of a nose tackle type
and they needed that. They needed a run stopper inside.
They lost DJ Readers a free agency last year and
they really missed him.
Speaker 1 (15:23):
You know.
Speaker 2 (15:23):
They drafted Shamar Stewart to add to the edge rush mix,
except the fact he's not signed. They drafted a couple
of linebackers, one who's gonna start, Dmetrius Knight, except he's
not signed. And they've got a bunch of cornerbacks that
have either been hurt or have not played well at times,
have played great at times. So I do believe they
(15:44):
think Al Golden can get more out of them. It
doesn't have to be a top match defense. To your point,
I mean that offense is going to score a ton
of points. You know, this is one rare training camp
that Joe Berg goes into healthy. His wide receivers got
signed to extensions, and t Higgins and Jamar Chay and
everybody's happy and healthy and all of those things. So
they're going to score points and they're going to hit
the ground running. The key thing is can Al go
(16:07):
and get this defense. I mean literally, if you got
the middle of the pack, and even less than middle
of the pack. This is a playoff super Bowl team,
and that's his task to try to get that defense
to that point.
Speaker 1 (16:17):
Well, baseball conversation now, as we're they're coming up on
the it's the gout of the unofficial midway point of
the season with the All Star Game next week, and
the Reds got out of the Marlin series with a
split down the other Rockies. They need to make some
hay here. But how optimistic do you think Reds fans
have a right to be that they could get the
(16:38):
level of consistency it would take to make a run
at least a wild Card.
Speaker 2 (16:43):
Yeah. I think that's the thing. It's the level of consistency. Right.
So they come out of the Philly series and lose
that series, that's fine. I mean, their Phillies are great.
You know, they lose the last game to Zack Wheeler
pitches a one hit or he was great, and then
you just you shrug your shoulders of that and go, Okay,
seven games this week, four with the Marlins, three with
the Rockies. This is got to be a five and
two week at worst. And they lose the first two,
(17:04):
but then they come back and win the last two,
and now they're gonna have to swoot the Rockies to
make it a five and two series. You do that,
I think there's there's some legitimate belief. I think a
lot of it hinges on Hunter Green's health. You know,
he had a set back in Philly through a bullpen session.
He's on the il with a groin injury, said he
felt in discomfort. I guess the good news is they
did another MRI and it didn't show any any you know,
(17:25):
significant damage. So I think it's a matter of his
his pain tolerance and his comfort level. You know, you've
got some time here because of the All Star break,
But if this lingers into August and you're not having
Hunter Green, you know you're having Hunter Green miss another
three to five to six, seven to eight to twelve starts.
That factors in significantly. But if you get him back
(17:45):
and Nicolodolo pitched great last night, and Andy Rabbit's going
to the All Star Game, and rookie Chase Burns says, says,
you know, the three starts have been wildly all over
the planet. The great start against the Yankees, the awful
start against the Red Sox, the bounce back start against
the Phillies. You have a chance to make some hay
to your point and make a run of the playoff.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
First, Richard, I appreciate the time as always.
Speaker 2 (18:06):
Thank you you bet Tom, take care, Thank you, sir.
Speaker 1 (18:09):
Richard Skinner from Channel twelve at Local twelve, skinning on
X and WKRCTV after the Cincinnati Market. We're halfway home
on this Friday edition of The Leech Report, coming to
you from the Clark's Pumping Shop studio. Return refresh and
refuel at Clarkson and get into their Loyalty Rewards program
game discounts. When you fill up. We'll be right back.
(18:39):
Its the Leech Report, presented each day by Bobcat Enterprises
and joining us now Eric Gershaan from caspause dot Com
for a little while longer, but you've entered the transfer portal.
Speaker 3 (18:51):
Yes, I guess that's correct, but yeah, today is actually
my last day. Oh so, yeah it is. It's bittersweet,
but uh yeah, we'll be taking on a new a
new job here on Monday, and you know, excited about that,
but obviously bittersweet. And have enjoyed the heck at all
(19:12):
my years on the beat, you know, three three seasons
with the Cat's Paws, seven total. But uh, you know,
this is goodbye for now, but you never know down
the road. You know, I love it here and we'll
see what happens in the future. But this was just
the right step for my fiance and I for now.
Speaker 1 (19:28):
Are you at liberty to say what's next? Or we
get down on Monday.
Speaker 3 (19:32):
Yeah, yeah, I'm gonna be a sports information director down
at a school down in Florida, New College of Florida.
And you know, the the you know, opportunity just came
with a chance to move closer to some family down
there and you know, all all honesty, some more money
and better benefits for the family that you know, we
(19:54):
felt was important to take at this time.
Speaker 1 (19:57):
And you know, it's amazing a lot of people put
stock in that.
Speaker 3 (20:00):
Yeah, yeah, just you know, maybe maybe it's a little important,
but uh yeah, and uh you know obviously you know,
to kind of shift into the communication side of things,
and an opportunity to run their you know, information department
and maybe you know this opens doors uh in the
in the bigger schools in the future and maybe just
at UK who knows. So, uh, it was just an
(20:21):
opportunity we felt was right at this time.
Speaker 1 (20:23):
And uh, you know again, I'm.
Speaker 3 (20:26):
It's very very bittersweet because I absolutely love the Catspaws.
I don't there's no it was It's very hard to leave,
but uh, it was just something we felt we had.
Speaker 1 (20:35):
To do well best wishes on that and kind of
going into a new part of the sports media business,
so you get to to learn from the other side
or what it's like and then who knows where that
takes you. So that's, uh, it could be fun.
Speaker 3 (20:49):
Good for you. Yeah, I appreciate it. Yeah, the more
you can do, the better is what I've learned. So
get to get to learn a lot of new stuff
and just continue adding to the tool block. So I'm
excited for it, But again, bittersweet.
Speaker 1 (21:03):
What has What do you are some of the memories
of whether it's a particular interview or a game or
something that you'll have from your time on this beat.
Speaker 3 (21:15):
I guess I hate to be negative first, but I
think the one that stands out the most first is
the Saint Peter's game. Just the shock and everything that
was going on in that building, you know, and you know,
I take Oakland out of it, because the Saint Peter's
one was just unprecedented in New k history. Kentucky had
(21:37):
never under cal Perry. I actually don't think they even
lost in the first round, let alone to a fifteen seed,
and just that whole building. You felt the energy, you know,
it was like a Kentucky home game, being an Indian
playing against the school that they're from, New Jersey. I
grew up an hour from the school, and I had
never heard of the school before the game, and just
(21:58):
you could feel the energy shift in that building. So
that one, for me is takes the cake. But you know,
other ones on brighter notes, like I think one of
the game I talk about all the time that twenty
nineteen Belt Bowl down in Charlotte, which it was a
great atmosphere there in that stadium. This was you know, yeah,
(22:19):
you had opt outs at the time, but it still
felt like these smaller, if you will, Bowl games were
still you know, these teams really and not to say
they don't want it now, but both teams, I don't
think any of them had opt outs. Virginia Tech or Kentucky.
You had, you know, Virginia Tech their defensive coordinator who
was there forever was coaching his last game. And you
know Linn Bowden, you had all the fireworks before the
(22:41):
game where they almost got into a fight at the
NASCAR event. They did get on into a fight pre
game on the field, and then he he backs that
up by running for like two hundred and fifty yards
and throwing the game winning touchdown when he hasn't thrown
the ball all game. So you know, those are those
are two games that stand out. I mean, more positive
melt with basketball. I mean, the Pope press conference is
(23:04):
still on, just asking a question front of twenty five
thousand people. I didn't think I'd ever have to do
that one. Just that's so Kentucky. No other place that'll
be like it. But you know, this just this whole season,
you know, with Pope and seeing the fan base kind
of I wouldn't say, you know, they'll always be and
always were in love with this, with this program, but
(23:26):
it did just kind of feel like they needed a
jolt and they needed something different to kind of reignite
the spark just a little bit. In this whole season.
I think, you know, some of the wins they had
at home, the Florida game, the Louisville game, and you know,
just the brand of basketball they played, the different attitude
from the coach, if you will, the new level of
(23:49):
intensity that he brought in the you know, very outgoing,
very much you know, embracing the fan base and kind
of just shifting the energy a little bit. This whole
season was by far the most fun basketball season I covered,
and you know, dups and downs of it even but yeah,
so those are just the ones that stand out on
(24:10):
the top of my head.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
Yeah you uh bek Ah. Several good points in there,
the one about last season, and this doesn't get to
happen often at a place like Kentucky, but nobody really knew
the team was so new and didn't know a lot
about the guys that were coming in, so the expectations
bar maybe wasn't quite where it normally is, and that
(24:34):
is getting reset now, but for that one year, it was,
you know, just heavy for Kentucky basketball fans. I think
I would get to hear this express you may have
too from talking to fans that it was just more
fun again, uh, And I don't know everybody put a
(24:54):
could exactly fully explain that, but it just felt that way. Oh,
there's no doubt about it.
Speaker 3 (25:01):
It was more fun. And I think part of it
was just the access I think they had to the
coach and the players, and I just think they put
themselves out a little bit. And Cal was great at
it earlier in his tenure and even right before COVID,
I thought, and it just kind of something changed and
you know it was time to move on. And that's okay.
You know, he's he's kind of you see, he's kind
(25:23):
of doing what he did at Arkansas as far as
access goes a little bit. Just now he had an
open practice of the media. I don't remember the last
time that happened, and you know, so maybe it just
needed to happen that way. But you know, from day one,
Mark Pope has been extremely accessible to the fans. You know,
he stays after all these games with you on radio
and he'll sign autographs for as long as he can. He's,
(25:47):
you know, just wanting to get them involved as much
as he can, and you just he's embracing them and
he has since day one, just knowing what this place
is like, having played here and won a national championship here,
and I think to him, kind of you go back
to that introductory press conference, which obviously he nailed, and
him going through all these things that you know, Kentucky
(26:09):
wanted to get back to doing, you know, from the
smaller I wouldn't say smaller, but even just listing off
how important winning in the SEC tournament is again and
that got the fan base fired up, and you could see,
you know, you could see it after every loss they
had it, how it would eat at him and how
you know, disgusted he was. And it was just that that,
(26:30):
I think alone was refreshing and brought the sandbase even
closer and back in, like yeah, we we we shouldn't
get used to losing around here, like this is bothering
our head coach again. So and not that it wasn't
bothering CALC, just the way that Pope publicly displayed it.
So yeah, I think it was just more fun. I
(26:50):
think again, the style of basketball, the way that Pope
embraced being here and the fans, the players really just
soaking it all in and you know, talking so much
about you know, wearing Kentucky across their chest. I mean again,
that's There have been plenty of players in the Calira
who have done similar things, and you know, many of
(27:10):
whom still talk about it to this day and still
are supporting the program with the changing the guard. But
there's something unique about this group where it just seems
to mean a little extra to them, or at least
they made it more public so the fan base really
understood it. And anytime they do that, the fan base
is going to embrace them forever.
Speaker 1 (27:31):
Talking to Eric Gershan for one more day from Katzpause
dot Com at a Gershan ninety nine on X and
we'll continue the conversation here in just a moment. As
we headed the break, let me remind you about the
bottle signing coming up Sunday at the Liquor Barn in
Etown for our friend JD. Shelburne Inclusion Brands has a
new bourbon out with JD on the label, and he'll
(27:52):
be there signing and he'll be doing a little performance
on Sunday two o'clock to four Eastern time at the
Liquor Barn in Etown. And I saw a tweet from
JD where he signed a lot of extra bottles, So
if you didn't get one last night at the signing
event here in Lexington the Liquor Barn in Beaumont Center,
you can swing by and pick up a sign bottle
even though you missed the event. We'll be right back
(28:14):
on the Lake Report Radio Network. It's the Lake Report
for the Clark's Pump and Chef Studio, Return, Refresh and
(28:37):
Refuel at Clark's. We're talking about Aaron Gershom from katzpause
dot com and he was talking about Mark Pope's first
season at Kentucky. Let's get into the second season a
little bit. You'll be watching it from Florida Unfold aired.
But this was Jadie Quayton's earlier this week, one of
the new players, first year transfer from Arizona State, talking
(28:58):
about the fact that he thinks could he could be
a special team defensively.
Speaker 4 (29:02):
I feel like we could be one of the best
defensive teams in the country. We have a really like
long team everybody. We have a lot of height end
length on our team, and everybody's buying in like everybody's committing.
We have people pushing full court, guarding full court. We
have people in the backcourt in gaps and help in rotation.
So I feel like we have a really good chance
to be special to share defensively.
Speaker 1 (29:22):
I was looking at Kenpalm dot com. Aaron last year
on two point field goal percentage for the opponent, Kentucky
was two hundred and ninety fifth I think a little
over fifty three percent for the opponent. Three of the
four teams in the final four were in the top
twenty in that stat and the fourth, Auburn, was twenty ninth,
(29:43):
so all four final four teams were in the top thirty.
Kentucky was two ninety fifth. Kentucky gonna be a whole
lot better, I think the two ninety five in that
stat this year. That's just one example of why all
the talk about defense can be significant. And you know,
if guys like a Quaintance are blocking shots, they're getting
more steels out on the perimeter with Diabate and others,
(30:03):
that will fuel the pace at which they want to
play even and faster.
Speaker 3 (30:09):
Yeah, Mark Pope wasn't necessarily hiding his cards with his
transfer portal strategy. It was to get longer and better
on the defensive end and get more physical, there's no question,
and he's admitted as such.
Speaker 2 (30:21):
You know.
Speaker 3 (30:21):
Obviously, Jaden Quainton's is the top example of that, a
guy who you know, six' nine seven to three wingspan
was averaging two and a half blocks per game last
year before THE acl, injury all at The big twelve
defensive team as a true as a sixteen year. Old
so that's the guy who's kind of the poster child of.
It but you look At Mohammad, diabate who's a guy
(30:44):
who was able to guard one through five last year
In alabama as a team obviously plays a very similar
style To, kentucky and they've had their defensive struggles the
last couple of years as, Well but that's the guy
that they didn't have to worry about, defensively and he
is just he's very physical. Presence you saw the struggles
he was the trouble he Gave kentucky in all three
(31:06):
matchups on that end of the court when they played against.
Them so and then that's a labordeen six y five
at the on the. WING i, mean he's a guy
that was a really really good defender At florida this past.
Year Cam williams is a guy who's probably maybe the
most underrated edition from a defensive. Standpoint offensively maybe, two
(31:26):
but defensively at six eight in a wigging spin above,
seven he blocked over a shot per game and averaged
over a steel per. Game so it was a clear
emphasis this offseason that the physicality and defense had to
get much much. Better and you, know you liked what
they did on, paper and you, KNOW i totally. Agree
(31:47):
THERE'S i would, say unless there's a rash of injuries,
again which you hope doesn't. Happen there's no chance in.
Heck they are two hundred and ninety fifth and two
point defensive percentage, again but they should take a pretty
massive step. Forward and the way they're talking about defense
this year compared to, LAST i, mean quite, FRANKLY i
don't remember many defensive conversations this time last. Year and
(32:10):
that's not a knock on the. Guys it's JUST i, think,
look you, know you these players, learn you, know and
they grow year to, year, right AND i think it's
similar for the. Coaches and this is not to Say Mark.
Pope Obviously Mark pope is way smarter Than i'll ever,
be and smarter than a lot of. People but so
it's not to say he didn't emphasize defense or care about,
defense but he, hadn't you, know no one had played
(32:33):
in THE sec like like last. YEAR i, mean it
was just a ridiculous, league and you kind of see
what it took to win in the, league and what
it took to win in the league was he had
to be obviously had to score a bunch of, points
but he also to be ridiculously physical and be able
to win some boxing matches out. There And kentucky just
wasn't able to really do, that And Mark pope, Said,
(32:54):
okay live and. Learn we're gonna make sure we put
our best foot forward to where we're not going to
let that happen again this. Year and he bought, it
and he put together team on paper that should not
be an. Issue and even if you you, know the
three point percentage drops by one or two, percent not
saying it, will but even if it, does you know
that physicality is going to make up for it and
(33:14):
you're going to be able to win some games or
maybe you're not scoring in the high, eighties nineties and.
Speaker 1 (33:19):
Hundreds some of the guys From pope's first team are
involved in THE Nba Summer, league which ramped up last.
Night cleveland lost to The pacers one sixteen to one to.
Fifteen Jackson robinson did get, sea actually played fourteen, minutes
did not score zero for three from the. Field but
you're talking about coming off an injury in his first
game since. YEP i mean he's played played that one
game a half of a game At oklahoma since the
(33:41):
end Of. January SO i don't Think i'd put too
much stock into that one set line last, Night BUT
i have rooting for him just because he dealt such
a nasty curve ball.
Speaker 3 (33:50):
There, YEAH i couldn't agree. More he really, did and
he Was, look he was playing tremendously before that. INJURY
i mean he was shooting fifty two PERCENT i think
in this from three in the seven games before the. Injury,
obviously The Mississippi state game is well got him on the.
Roll but he ALSO i, mean he had a huge
game at home Against TEXAS a AND, m a game
(34:12):
you could tell him and a lot to him having
played for that program and you, know wanting to stick
it to him a little. Bit you, know he had
a really big game even though he actually shot the
ball pretty well Against arkansas game they lost, Obviously and
there was another one where he was up in the
twenties that's slipping my mind in that seven game stretch,
there but uh oh the game At tennessee was a
(34:32):
big game for him as. Well so, yeah that seven
game stretch before the, injury that was The Jackson robinson
that they were waiting for for two. Months if you
remember when he was going through THAT nba draft, process
and you, Know kentucky fans were anxiously waiting to see
whether he'd pull his name out and if he did
what he transferred and Followed Mark, Pope so you know
(34:53):
that that was what you were starting to. See and
then he you, know tries to gut it out in
his home state there In. Oklahoma you, know, unfortunately you,
know obviously didn't go as. Plans so you, know you
hate to, see like you, said the cards he was
kind of dealt having to have the surgery when he.
Did that kind of kept him from having workouts to
the last minute and kind of made it hard FOR
(35:14):
nba teams to pull the trigger on. Him but you,
know hopefully once he gets under his feat under him
a little, bit, uh you can have a big summer
league and then, hopefully you, know play his way to
a spot where you, know he can't get up to
the big.
Speaker 1 (35:27):
League Eric gershawan katzpause Dot com through today and then
headed into the sports information field Sports communications down In
florida Starting. Monday best of luck on the new. Gig
it's been fun working with. You done a great job
covering The. Cats, yeah, yeah we'll we'll continue to follow the.
Speaker 3 (35:47):
CAREER i appreciate. It you, KNOW i won't be a.
Stranger i'll Be i'll be watching. Listening i'll get to
listen to you. More so that's a that's a great
thing for, Me SO i look forward to.
Speaker 1 (35:57):
It thank, You, ared good, luck you got. It that
is Erin grosha and joining us here on The Leach
report is we head to the. Break let me tell
you that this is the last day of The Prime
day sale for Corn Bread, hemp in which you could
get thirty percent off their full lineup of hemp. Products
it's exclusively on their website at cornbreadhamp dot. Com the
(36:18):
new and fuseed, seltzers the, organicgummies the, oils the, lotions
the sleep gummies that are a big hit for. Me
use the code prime at. Checkout you'll get thirty percent
off through today at cornbreadhamp dot. Com all of their
hemp grown here In. Kentucky everything is one hundred percent
legal and all the products are third party lab tested
(36:38):
for safety and. Purity so check them out and take
advantage of the great deal with The prime sale at
cornbreadhimp dot. Com we'll be right back on The Leach
Report Radio. Network it's The Lakes report presented By Bobcat.
(37:04):
Enterprises so so We're Jacob tompin signed a two year
deal with The. Hawks they play AN Nba Summer league
game this. Afternoon actually it'll be on THE espn, two
so you can check Out jacob. There Read sheppard also
place his First Summer league game tonight with The. Rockets
they take on The clippers and that's out In vegas
(37:25):
at Ten eastern time ON NBA tv AND Espn. Plus
stay A Wildcat history of service Of Kentucky roadshow sports
cards and. Memorabilia they're On Romney road In lexington at
roadshowcards dot. Com we heard From Jaden quaintan's. Earlier It's
jaq's birthday. Today happy birthday to him and Former kentucky
assistant Coach Rod. Strickland happy birthday To. Rod Shufflebean coffee
(37:48):
is the official coffee Of Rope arena and THE Kfc
Young center and Several lexington. Restaurants make it the official
coffee of your home by picking some up today at
A Central Kentucky. Myers you can also order Through, amazon
or you can find Shuffle Being coffee through the company's
Website shufflebean dot. Us it's great coffee and it's a
Great kentucky based company. Too they've been with us for
(38:11):
more than a. Decade here on The Leech, Report Great,
Partners Great coffee starts with the best coffee. Beans put
some hustle in your shuffle today With Shufflebean. Coffee Trey
mitchell's going to play in the basketball, tournament but not
with Lat, Familia so he's going to play with the
team Of West virginia alums And keelan offering a program
(38:32):
of twenty two stakes races worth almost eleven million dollars
at The Fall meat that Starts october. Third public ticket
sales will begin In august. Nineteenth new dining rooms are
gonna supposed to be opened up for The Fall meat as,
well so you don't have access to. THOSE. Jd shlber's
bottle signing don't forget that at The Liquor barn In
Etown sunday at. Two this is The Inclusion brands bourbon
(38:52):
that Has JD's picture on the, label and he'll be
there signing and performing On sunday at two at The
Liquor barn In. Etown it for The Leads. Report i'm
gonna take a little time off and UH i do
have a pre recorded show coming up On, monday so
a lot OF uk football talk. There enjoyed that and
have a great. Weekend Everybody Leads report at gmail dot
(39:13):
com and check out his website At tom Leech ky dot.
Speaker 4 (39:17):
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