2025-08-06 - BBI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
He's Dick Gabriel taking one more week of vacation before
the football season begins. So tonight it's the best of
a Big Blue insider. Johnnius now is a longtime friend
of the show and a longtime friend of mine, a
former Kentucky defensive lineman, mister Jeremy Jarman, and we love
talking football with double Jays. Are you excited about this
coming year, Jeremy, because this this is the pendulum swinging

(00:24):
in the er direction for Mark Stoops right now. It's
kind of a curious time, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, it is, And of court, I'm excited, Gabe. I mean, uh,
you know, I'll view I'll view football, football stairtys in
the South holidays, see friends and family, you know, during
you know, during these seven saturdays that aren't promised to us.
So I'm looking forward to seeing you, seeing the fans,
seeing Mark Stoops in this football team.

Speaker 1 (00:50):
This is the time of year when, for many many years,
a guy like you, well you specifically, would start to
physically and mentally get ready for what you players call
camp and then look into the season. Do you still
get that itch at this time of year you've been
away from the game for a while, But does it
still kind of creep up on you?

Speaker 2 (01:11):
It does? I still get it, And for me, I
get it from just the storylines, you know, the David
and Goliath type mentality. I'm the kind of guy I've
always viewed myself as an underdog with a lot to prove.
And you know, Mark Stoops, I think he's cut from
a very similar cloth. And his football teams, especially the

(01:32):
really good ones that's been their mentality is so for me,
just like the fans, I want to see. I want
to see how this football team and how these coaches,
how they perceive themselves coming out of sec media days
where some people were picking them dead last and others
next to last.

Speaker 1 (01:52):
Yeah, and you know we had seen that way back
in the day. And really actually when when Stoops first
got here and the program was was on a real downturn.
And then, of course, and as I said, just to
Mark and has sitting on the show during his tenure
at Kentucky, he's been the new guy. He's been a
guy trying to build a program, trying to coach football

(02:13):
at the quote unquote basketball school. Then all of a
sudden he's the darling for coaching Kentucky to ten wins
and competing for an Eastern Division title, and now you
know it's kind of swung back the other way, hasn't it.

Speaker 2 (02:27):
Yeah, it has, And that's I mean, there's nothing unfair
or unreasonable about that. You've seen the guy that's been
as you know, he had a stretch where he was
strength successful. Yeah, a couple of ten wins seasons there,
and a lot of a lot of NFL draft picks,

(02:47):
some guys that set records here at the University of
Kentucky and in the SEC. I mean, some really good
football players and coaches as well that have come through
here to have left their mark on this program. As
coach's just ready for thirteenth season.

Speaker 1 (03:03):
You mentioned the underdog rule, and certainly Stoops his best
teams have been like that, and that's that old Youngstown
blue collar work ethic coming out of him. But I'm wondering,
I was thinking about this earlier today, Jeremy. They've got
so many new faces on that team. When you figure
in the freshman with the transfer of portal, you've got
almost fifty new guys. How tough do you think it's

(03:26):
going to be for him? And you guys had a
little bit of that going when you were playing under
Rich Brooks. But you know, can you effectively do you
think do that when you have so many faces, so
many of these guys weren't here last year, haven't been
there for you know, a couple three years.

Speaker 2 (03:44):
Yeah, that's what makes the evaluation process so important. And
it's multi fascivut. You know, I don't think a lot
of people really talk about that. You have your front
office people there there, you're you know, Chase and his
team that scout for talent, and then the role of
the assistant coaches and the head coaches and to support

(04:06):
people are are to not only support that, but support
that with other kind of data that you can get
from parents, from the community, from high school coaches, from teachers,
to really be able to assess the characters and whether
the players that you're bringing in here, whether they're accountable,
whether they're dependable, whether they view football as a tool

(04:28):
or as a game, or as a future job or
combination thereof. But these these these coaches, the job, their
job is to assessed these guys characters, to know if
they truly want to be football players or or if
they're preoccupied with other things. In football is just you know,
it's just something else that they do while they're on campus,

(04:50):
and that's important. And I think when you look when
you look at the job that Mark Pope did in
year one, I see a guy that is evaluating the
full person. And I think that that's an aspect that
we have to get back to, is understanding the character
of the guys that we're bringing into the program.

Speaker 1 (05:12):
You know, it's funny that you mentioned that because I
talked to a basketball coach about the exact same thing
about how you've really you got to build a network
of contacts, people you can call and lean on and say, hey,
what about this kid? Shoot me straight on this kid.
And you know who's also done a great job of
that of late is Nick minjee On the baseball coach
at Kentucky really taking good advantage of the portal. But

(05:37):
you know, it's it's so much more than just what
happens on the field, isn't it. It's the locker room,
it's the dorm or an apartment you're sharing. The weight
room especially, isn't it that's where things come together.

Speaker 2 (05:49):
The weight room, the classroom, every room away from the
field is important. And I think One of the things
that really sticks out to me is, you know, being
at the Hall of Fame banquet last year and just
listening to the UK Hall of Fame banking and listening
to listen to Sydney and listen to some you know,
Corey Peters listening to that group Godie met just talk

(06:13):
about how tough it was to be a student athlete,
and be a student athlete at a high level. Uh,
It's extremely hard to go out on the field and
make plays week in and week out in the greatest
conference in all of collegiate sports. And there's so much
that is coming at you, so many expectations gave that

(06:34):
aren't there even as a professional athlete. You know, there
are some aspects of being a collegiate athlete that are
just grueling and I just take my head off. I
know that that sounds cliche, but I'm just always in
awe when I get a chance to, you know, to
fellowship through the K Club, through other organizations with former

(06:56):
letter winners that have done this at an extremely high level,
just to pick their brain and just talk about talk
about the journey in the past. And you know, for
a lot of people, you get in and it's easy
to drop the rope. It's easy to get distracted with
other things. It's easy to say, you know what, like this,
you know this balance, It's just it's too much, and

(07:16):
you have to find those gritty kids that they're just
junkies for it. They love it, they love being in
the building. And part of that is is making sure
you got the right people in the building from the
coaching staff, support personnel, but also most importantly their teammates.

Speaker 1 (07:32):
Well, speaking of the staff and the people in the building,
of course, Vince Merriw has moved along. I don't know
that you and I have chat and we've texted back
and forth. But what was your reaction when you heard
that Vince was not so much leaving but going to Louisville.
I think it was at some point, you know, you
had to figure somebody who's going to pluck him away
from Kentucky, but to go to Louisville. I mean, what

(07:53):
was your response?

Speaker 2 (07:55):
Yeah, not happy about it. I mean there's been a
little too much contamination, you know here the last few
seasons with UH, you know, with some people going from
going from the Kentucky side to the Louisville side. UH
and but all in all, love Ben appreciative of everything
that he's done for the UK program, for the brand,

(08:17):
the things behind the scenes that a lot of people
don't point out as well. It's somebody that's been that's
that's very that's been integrated into the Kentucky DNA. And
even though he's taking off the polo and going to
u of L, you know, he's a guy that's gonna
have relationships that that that stand that course, and he'll
be able to pick up the phone and keep in

(08:37):
contact obviously with guys because I mean he has these
twelve twelve years of relationships you know as well, you
know with the Kentucky logo on. But you know, from
a football perspective, I'm curious to see what happens to
that room because we always talk about the tight end
room and there's a guy in that room that Willie Rodriguez.

(08:58):
He's a guy that is very special and I want
to see him take the next step and uh and
I'm excited to see his progress and how bush him
then integrate him into the offense because he has to
be involved in it, blocking passing, because he is a
very special athlete.

Speaker 1 (09:18):
Yeah, you know, and He's not the only guy in
that room. Josh Caatis. You know, as a senior's played
a lot of football. But yeah, there's just something about
this kid. What is it you really like about Rodriguez.

Speaker 2 (09:29):
I like his link, I like his twitch. I like,
you know, the length of his stride. I like the
fact that, despite being a long, tall athlete, that he's
very nimble and shifty. And I think he's the step
I think he's I think his speed is deceptive. I
don't know what the numbers are, but to me, he
looks like a guy that's a step faster than the

(09:50):
average tight end uh in this league. And I want
to see him matched up in some one on one
situations this fall because he and win them. I know
he can win them. I know that he can go
up top as well and jump and catch the ball
at its ties point. And I'm expecting a big year
for him.

Speaker 1 (10:09):
I like his toughness and stoops started talking about that
last year at one point, and he got kind of
this wistful look in his eye, like, you know this,
this is my kind of guy, and that comes in
hand to you tight end if they can send him
out on routes. But I wonder, Jeremy, is this old
line we can talk more about this. Let's let's do that.

(10:30):
Let's talk on the other side of the break about
the old line, because so often, as you know, they
had to keep the tight end in to chip a
little bit and help the old line. So let's let's
let's take a break and talk more about the old
line on the other side. You're listening to the Best
of the Big Blue Insider. More to come here on
six thirty w LAP. It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome back to
the Best of the Big Blue Insider. Welcome back. We're

(10:52):
talking with Jeremy Jermy former Kentucky defensive lineman. You've heard
him on the radio and on TV. You've heard him
ready m quoted. He has become a very sage wise
veteran old man. He's still a very young man. But
we turned to Jeremy for football knowledge and we were
talking about the old the old line prior to the

(11:14):
break totally rebuilt. Will they be good enough do you
think to allow the tight ends to go out and
catch passes?

Speaker 2 (11:23):
Dab I mean, that's a great question, and unfortunately that's
not one that we're going to know the answer to
I don't think until all just started. I thinks we'll
have a really good idea and i'd like to see
I think the things that they'll be looking for is
just to see how those guys do getting out in space,
you know. I think that that was an area where

(11:44):
I was just really surprised to see maybe some guys
just maybe lose some flexibility or put on some weight
and they weren't as maybe quick. You know our tackle
cock last year, like out in space, the ability to
get out there and just get a chick up on,
get a chip on the linebacker on the screen, be
able to put your foot in the ground, redirect I

(12:05):
thought our screen game. I thought our screen game last
year really it really affected the ability to really do
some quick hitting things. And that's an area where if
they're able to improve there, able to get the guards
out in space to get up on the next level,
get out like I said in the screen and that

(12:26):
opens a lot of things up that slows to pass
us down and we need to be able.

Speaker 1 (12:32):
To do that this fall, well, second year under bush hand, Dan,
do you think we'll see more stuff like that within
this offense.

Speaker 2 (12:41):
I think it depends on the personnel. I go back
and I look, and you know, I talk about the
offensive line, but it's also the receivers. I think. I
think that there's times that the receivers really let let
each other down, not being able to block on the
edges with some of the quick hitting screens out there,
the short passing game, not being able to stay on

(13:01):
the blocks with with with corners and safety. So when
you have that combination where you where you can't run
you can't run wide receiver screens and you can't run
running back screens because of combination of the inability to
get defensive backs as well as linebacks blocked in the
screen game. Man, that's a bad combination. That is a

(13:25):
horrible combination for a quarterback because those are the kind
of plays that you run typically to slow down the
pass for us, but also to get your quarterback in
the rhythm. Yeah, and that's very tough to be a
quarterback and inexperiences to see quarterback without the ability to
be able to pick up some first downs with with
short passing games.

Speaker 1 (13:46):
Well, it looks like cal Zada will be the starter,
but even if he's not, it'll be another new quarterback
taking a snap on opening day, you know, and we
can we can tell that story going all the way
back to Drew Barker's injury to why it's it's kind
of been a revolving door at QB. Uh, you know,
not every year. I mean, you know, Terry Wilson started

(14:06):
multiple years, Stephen Johnson did too, but it's been so long,
Jeremy since they could since they signed a quarterback and
developed him into the starting QB. But that almost seems
like business as usual now using the portal for a
QB in the Southeastern Conference. Is that something fans should
even concern themselves about.

Speaker 2 (14:29):
I mean that that's a tough one because I think
that there's there's different philosophies there at the quarterback position.
I think everybody likes to see, uh the n State guy,
homegrown kids growing to that growing to that spot.

Speaker 1 (14:45):
Right.

Speaker 2 (14:45):
But I think now with the with the with the
makeup of in the rules and regulation, now with the
n C doua A, you have an opportunity every year
to put to put the best quarterback that you can.
You know that anywhere in the content playing on different
levels D one two three nai h on some juco

(15:08):
to be able to find one or two guys to
be able to integrate into your offense. And I think
that you owe it to your fan base to make
sure that you go out and that you bring in
someone that can compete, uh, that can compete for that spot.
And you know, this quarterback by a Christian model, it's
over and it's never coming back again.

Speaker 1 (15:28):
Yeah. Well, you know, I look back on last year
and Rock Vandergriff and here's a guy by the end
of the year essentially retired from football. You you rarely
hear a college player say that, but he was so
beaten up by the end of the year. But Jeremy,
I look back, I watched that entire Kentucky on this

(15:48):
game on on Kentucky takeover down SEC Network, and of
course I was down there working at for Radio field
side watching that incredible game unfold. And then remember the
week prior to damn near beat Georgia. So for two
weeks running, Kentucky played as well as any team in America,
and vander Griff was was a big part of that.

(16:11):
It was so and then when things began to go bad,
and there were a lot of reasons, but I think
it's a reminder that your QB is only as good
as the guy's walking for him. Right.

Speaker 2 (16:23):
Absolutely, when you watched that Georgia game, When I watched
that Georgia game, there was two plays that were called
there late in that game and that last drive that
we had that would have been first down and were
lining up with arguably the best best field goal kicker
in Kentucky football history with the go ahead, you know,

(16:45):
with the go ahead wins, and the inability to block
on those two consecutive plays really cost Brock, really cost
the football team because you beat Georgia there, man in
that spot. You know, I think at that point, I
think you got a situation where anybody in the locker

(17:05):
room that may have been wavering a little bit, just
a little bit on the fence. I think from there,
I think that you just see the sellout just go
to an entirely different level.

Speaker 1 (17:16):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (17:17):
Uh, And it was, it was, and it was a
you know, it's definitely a missed opportunity. Uh, But they
had Georgia beat There's no doubt. I Mean, I've broken
that down in the film room, and I got that
those two plays there and that last row were excellent
caused by Bush and just couldn't just couldn't get the
ball off. It was just unfortunate.

Speaker 1 (17:37):
It would have changed the face of college football. That
that's where we are these days, you know, when when
a team like Georgia is upset like that. I mean
maybe Georgia goes on to do great things, but it
would have really really uh And then the Old Miss
loss to Kentucky, that that damaged the Rebels that year.
But you go back and look at that game that

(17:59):
that on game ye had a Wildcats got some breaks,
they made some breaks, u l Miss was penalized. Kentucky
did not protect the quarterback well I think I think
uh Brock was sacked five or six times. Yet he
stands in and makes that deep throat to Barry and Brown,
which will be remembered as one of the biggest plays
in UK history. You know.

Speaker 2 (18:20):
Yeah, that was a beautiful That was a beautiful play
execution there. And I like to think back to the
two years before with you know, with Levice down there,
with the you know, or two years and the opportunity
there with just a couple of those those go routes.
I think they were go routes. They were deep balls

(18:41):
that were just overthrown and they were missive uh to
burry On, so to see to see that kind of
come full circle, uh and see barry On be involved
with helping us defeat the Rebels. I think that that
will be something that, uh, you know that we'll remember,
that'll be definitely part of this legacy as well as
being one of the most prolific kickoff returners in college

(19:02):
football history.

Speaker 1 (19:03):
So how much does it hurt them that he's now
an LSU Tiger.

Speaker 2 (19:08):
I mean losing a guy that can that can, that
can score anytime he gets the football, whether that's on
punk kickoff return or or in a deep ball, or
a guy that has to be honored because of the
season where he's not gonna get a lot of maybe
one on one match up, there's always going to be
a safety that you know, there's playing cloud playing the

(19:29):
top there. Yeah. Yeah, losing a guy like that hurts you,
even if he wasn't as consistent of a route runner
and as a pass catcher as you had hoped that
he would have been in his junior campaign.

Speaker 1 (19:41):
But I do think there is talent in that room,
and now you may see some guys you know, up
their game a little bit. I fully expect that.

Speaker 2 (19:49):
I think so too. I think that those guys in
that room. First of all, I think that they're I
think it's a well coached group. Yes, And I think
that those guys have a lot to prove. Uh they've
been successful being able to get into you know, get
into the to the portal and get a little bit
of help there. And I'm just curious. I'm really intrigued,

(20:10):
you know, to see law, but also to see to
see Macklin in this upcoming season as well, to see
how he's utilized. He's a guy that just seemed you know,
when he caught the touchdown path against Tennessee, he was
a guy you know that kind of just seemed like
a you know, like a relief celebration, like, yeah, this

(20:32):
is like this is what I can do type you
know type celebrations and uh, you know him being on
the outside there. So but getting Gilmore back that's huge,
being able to repatriate him from from Nebraska. He was
a guy that this staff has been high on and
he's a well liked guy in that locker room. So

(20:54):
I think, all in all, I think that that's a
good group. I think it's really solid, and you know,
you mentioned Alizada earlier Calasada. Calzada is a special guy
to me, just because, for the most part, you know
who he is from an average perspective, you know, just
you know, top to bottom. But anytime a guy has

(21:15):
played a dragon, that's right, he never he never forgets that.

Speaker 1 (21:19):
Yeah, Pete Alabama, Yeah you don't.

Speaker 2 (21:23):
You don't forget that. You don't forget what you know
how that's done. And I'd like to think that that
guy's got some more football less than him, and he's
got another dragon or a few to slay this season.

Speaker 1 (21:36):
Okaya, Calzada, dragon slayer. I like that. We're talking to
Jeremy Jermer. We'll talk about the defense in just a minute.
You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
More to come here on six thirty w LAP. Hey,
it's Dick Gabriel and you're listening to the best of
the Big Blue Insider. Welcome back to talking to Jeremy Jerman,
who played defensive line in college and the pros. Let's

(21:58):
talk about the d Kentucky and I asked a couple
of questions of marktoops down in Atlanta, and one of
them involved the defense, and he ended up talking at
length about the depth now Jeremy at D line, he
felt like, I think what it was when I asked
him about that period where they played so well against
Georgia and Ole Miss, but just couldn't quite hang on

(22:20):
to that level of play, and he talked about all
the injuries. He said, I didn't want to bring it
up last year during the season go to sounded like excuses,
but he did remind us and I know you remember
the rash of injuries in the spring and then in
the summer going in a thin they were, And he
said one of the things he really likes about the
D line thanks to the portal and recruiting, is they

(22:41):
have bodies now. They do have more depth, even though
there are question marks because this is an area that's
been so strong through the years. As you know. Now
there are some question marks, but they do have numbers,
which you got to have at that position, don't you.

Speaker 2 (22:57):
Yeah, for sure, And I think I think they probably
feel really good about that projected. You know, first group
of starters and you look at Khalil sound Saunders, who's
what a fifth year guy, He's been a dependable football
player for you. You get Josiah Hayes back there at
that nose position. You know how much he's able to

(23:20):
compete there. Uh, you know with David gusta guy that
they seem to be really high on. Yeah. Uh. And
I think Humphrey Grace he's another guy that you know,
you've heard some things about as well this offseason. And
obviously you know Jared Smith being in the mix uh
there as well, and Jaydon Williams and whom I missed,

(23:45):
And I know that there's some other guys there. But
you know, I think, you know, Brian Robinson, I'd like
to think he's a guy that's probably gotten a little
bit a little bit bigger as well, and really want
to see what kind of fall that he that he's
going to have. But am War is a fantastic defensive
line Yeah, you know, he produces really sound, technically sound

(24:06):
defensive linement. So I'm really curious to see what he's
going to be able to get out of this group.

Speaker 1 (24:12):
It's interesting you mentioned David Gusta because the three players
who came with Stoops to SEC media days two on defense,
one on offense acatus. He brought the Jordan love It
and Alex Safari. All three of them mentioned Gusta, and
all of them made reference to the weight room. You

(24:33):
mentioned a weight room earlier, and they all mentioned the
fact that he is such a b thirty seven reps
at two twenty five. I think that was the bench. Yeah, yeah,
Jeff Pigre on the same respect, Jeff said I could
do four. I don't know how many of you did,
but apparently thirty seven is pretty good. Uh So, yeah,

(24:54):
that's that's somebody's who's already gained a following among his teammates.
And that's big, isn't it.

Speaker 2 (25:00):
Yeah, that that type of strength is the elite strength
there at the defensive line position. So but you know,
there's been a lot of strong guys who have you know,
who have you know, come out and played football and
not been as successful as they would have liked. Not
to say that that's David, but that's an important part
of it. That's a huge part of it. A guy

(25:21):
that's able to get in the weight room, and I
think when you add a guy like that to the fold,
that's eye opening for the other guys to see someone
come in that has that kind of uh you know,
has those type of strength levels. I mean, that kind
of comes in and resets the that resets the the

(25:41):
flora and the aquarium, you know, or you had a
guy that that that thought that he was you know,
his thirty reps were really good, and then you got
a guy that comes in and he's thirty seven. He's
got tremendous work ethic. So you know, that's the important
piece of making sure when you're going out and you're
hitting him, you're hitting the portal, that you're getting the
right guy. Yeah, that you're getting you know that you're

(26:04):
getting as complete a guys as you can get. And
it sounds like that they really like this kid a lot,
and I'm excited to see him.

Speaker 1 (26:11):
Well, his teammates are just as excited as you are,
and they've been seeing him in there. We're talking to
Jeremy Jarman, former Kentucky defensive lineman, an All Conference performer,
NFL veteran about the upcoming Wildcats and Uh, it's it's
the time, Jeremy, where with guys coming through the portal
you were talking about evaluation. Uh, you've really got to

(26:33):
be able to lean on people you know in the business,
and you know a lot of people, but if a
guy's coming through the portal, you know, you want to
know what kind of guy he what kind of teammates
a you're going to be that sort of thing. And
I think that in Stoops All but admitted that they
kind of fell down in that area and the last
couple of years they got they're gonna he said, do

(26:53):
a much better job. He believes they've done a better
job of evaluating people, which is so vital, isn't it?

Speaker 2 (27:01):
It is vital. I'd be curious to just I'd be
curious to know a little bit more about that. And
you know what that is entailed, because you know, getting
a dossier on a on a prospect and getting a
complete one that's suit. That's I mean, that's that's very important.
And I think some NFL teams do that better than others.

(27:22):
And that's the reason why some NFL teams consistently get
better results than other NFL teams because the rosters are
very similar in talent, but the results on Sundays they
you know, some teams tend to be a little bit
more consistent in that category. And I mean, so when
we talk about character, we talk about team building, and

(27:44):
we talk about trying to trying to stimulate adversity and
trying to trying to see how guys respond to that.
You go and you get a player and he comes
from a program where they're used to winning every single week.
What happens to his character when you lose two in
a row?

Speaker 1 (28:02):
That's right?

Speaker 2 (28:04):
You know what happens to a guy? What happens to
a guy's character who's used to playing, you know, used
to being on bad teams. And he's a really good player,
but he wasn't a captain, you know, on this really
bad team. And you start winning or he starts having
individual successes, how does he handle that? There's so many
different dynamics that play in the locker room when you

(28:26):
bring in players and you're trying to evaluate it and
you're trying to find that right fit that you that
you try that you can't get the answers to everything,
but you got to get a good understanding for who
these guys are and what their support system outside of
the football what that outside of the football field, what
that looks like?

Speaker 1 (28:46):
That's right? You know, who are these guys? And to
that end, I really wonder you've told the story more
than once about that loss down at LSU in twenty
oh six, that really in a backhanded way turn the
season around. It was. It was the worst game in
the Rich Brooks era. Quite frankly, I think, and h

(29:09):
and you question yourself before you united off to sleep
on that team plane, and I got the wondering and
then everything turned around, you know the rest. But you
got to wonder how many of these guys who were
still on this Kentucky team from last year had the
same kind of conversation with themselves, you know what I mean?

Speaker 2 (29:30):
Now I agree, and you know, for the most part,
I mean, you know, stuff like that is stuff like that,
Those are pretty deep conversations having. You know, quite honestly,
I don't know how many people really want to really
feel comfortable talking out loud about about some of those things.
But the guys that do, the guys that use that
as fuel, the guys that are truly embarrassed by those

(29:52):
things and use those things as as motivation during the offseason.
I mean that, I mean that that's what That's what
this is. Yeah, yeah, I mean that is what this is.
I mean, you know, there's things that happen on the
football field down at LSU and some other places where
you're just not you're not happy with the result, you're

(30:12):
not happy with your individual performance, and you have to
be willing to look at your teammates and your coaches
and say, I'm going to learn from this. I'm going
to be a better player. I'm going to stop making
these mistakes because I care. You know, I care about
my legacy, I care about my last name. I care
about this school, the institution, the people that are coming

(30:33):
out that are spending their money, spending their resources to
come out here to support us. You know, this is
a community and everybody has a role, right, everybody has
a role, and it just so happens that you know
here pretty soon for about twelve weeks in a row.
You know, the role of Mark Steups and this football
team it falls on Saturdays, and their role is to

(30:55):
represent this university and the fan base in a way
that makes that makes our community feel h feel appreciated
and feel valued.

Speaker 1 (31:04):
Yeah. Yeah, And as I said as well, you've got
new faces coming in, but guys who want to prove themselves,
who may be you know, want to challenge themselves by
playing in the Southeastern Conference and the schedule they're facing, Jeremy,
you face some tough schedules in your day. But man,
you know, now you've got Oklahoma and Texas at least

(31:25):
Oklahoma's not on the schedule yet. But you know, I
always say the calendar is as tough as the schedule.
You've got early games that are vital. I mean, they
got a chance early to show themselves.

Speaker 2 (31:36):
Don't they They do. And I remember having a you know,
having a sidebar conversation with Christy and you know, Logan Stenberg,
I said, you know, from a you know, in a
satirical sense, these guys get a chance to play who
wants to be a millionaire? Twelve times?

Speaker 1 (31:54):
Right, and taught them it that way.

Speaker 2 (31:59):
And what a tremendous opportunity to go out and compete
in the southeast of the conference and have fun playing
a game that you love and doing it with your
brothers and going out and trying to write history that's
favorable to you and your team and it, you know,
And I cherish those those memories with my guys. Yeah,

(32:23):
you know, and it's such a special time. And I
just hope these guys that they just take a second
and just realize the opportunity at hand and just enjoy
the process.

Speaker 1 (32:34):
Well, I'll let you go with this speaking of the schedule,
I firmly believe that this could be one of those
years and we've seen it before here in Lexington where
this team could be markedly better than last year, but
because of the schedule, maybe the record doesn't indicate that.

Speaker 2 (32:53):
You know what I'm saying, that's very possible, But I
think that there's other ways to be able to gauge improvement,
because what you're saying is one hundred percent true, but
there are ways. There are ways to you know, if
you're an athletic director, if you're a university president, if

(33:15):
you're the board of trustees, there are ways to evaluate
this team other than wins and losses. And you know
that's and once again you know that's there's a lot
of criteria for that. You know, it's obviously improvement from
a macro perspective as well, you know, defense, offensive performance, overall, touchdowns,

(33:35):
touchdowns allowed, penalties, recruiting. I mean, there's yeah, you can
you can see it all right, you can see it
on the film. The film doesn't lie. And most importantly,
I think the sentiment that you get from uh, some
of our peers that watch the game, that understand the game,

(33:57):
that watch the tape and watch the film, and I
think that, you know, there's a lot of honesty amongst
I feel like amongst our group, and we will disseminate,
you know, those messages, things and honesty like how we
always have and you know, sometimes you lose some games
just because, you know, just because of some matchup, just

(34:17):
because it's a matchup issues. But yeah, but energy and effort,
you know those think that's character once again, and I
don't think the fan base. I don't think our fan
base will, our university will will will punish or be
spiteful or not be supportive of a football team that

(34:38):
takes the field and just absolutely is relentless and gives
it there.

Speaker 3 (34:42):
All.

Speaker 1 (34:44):
Well, I hope you're right. I think you're right, and
it won't be long now before we find out. Thank you, brother,
appreciate it. Looking forward to seeing you soon.

Speaker 2 (34:51):
Absolutely, Thanks Gabe.

Speaker 1 (34:53):
You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
More to come here on six thirty w LAP It's
Dick Gabriel, Welcome back to the Best of the Big
Blue Insider. In tracking Stoops' career at Kentucky, clearly last
year was a setback, no question about that, but how
far back was Kentucky set. And I bring that up

(35:16):
because Ryan Black, our pal from the Courier Journal, asked
an interesting question yesterday at the Mark Stoops media day.
We've got UK media Day coming up Friday, but Stoops
is having a little bit of surgery on his face.
Didn't want to appear with bruises on his face and
you know, shades and a hat. He said, only only

(35:36):
Deon Sanders can pull off that look. But so he
talked with us yesterday and one of the things that
Ryan asked about was Kentucky in twenty thirteen compared to
Kentucky in twenty twenty three and now twenty four. Stoops
got her in twenty twenty three. Program was in a

(35:57):
bit of a shambles. I mean it was it hit
Rock autumn when half the stadium was empty. The season
prior when Kentucky went to and ten for the Wildcats
lost to Vanderbilt. That was an eight season, Mark Stub's
first year eight too and ten, So no improvement from
twelve to thirteen, but they played better and from that

(36:20):
point on the Wildcats didn't take a step back except
for COVID. You got to throw out the COVID year
in my opinion, But they went five and seven, five
and seven, identical two and six records. Next couple of years,
seven and six, four and four in the league, went
to bowl games, didn't win them, but went the bowl game.
Then in twenty eighteen you had the ten win season,

(36:42):
Will Levis, Wandale, you know, Benny Snell, Josh Allen. They
win the Citrus Bowl. Then it's the Belk Bowl. After
that with Lynn Bolden, that was the Lynn Bowden year.
Twenty twenty, they go to the Gator Bowl after finishing
what five and seven, five and six regular season, No.

(37:04):
Four and six regular season because they were all conference games. Well,
like I said, that's the COVID year. You tossed that one.
Following year they go ten and three and go back
to the Citrus Bowl, and they're ranked in the top twenty,
just as they were in twenty eighteen. Following year they
lost a lot of people, didn't play that well. Last
two years really seven and six, seven and six bowl games,

(37:26):
and then they crashed to four and eight last year.
But Ryan asked Stoops about the fact that when he
came through, he talked about the fact that even though
they struggled. The program was a lot different now than
it was when he first came through that door in
twenty thirteen, and the lessons he might have.

Speaker 4 (37:44):
Learned, well, yes and no. I mean, of course there
are fundamental things that you could always lean in on
that heck, I could go back to Hayden Fry and
playing at Iowa and being a graduate assistant with Hayden Fry,
and some fundamental aspects that you will always hold on to.
So that part of it. Yes, there are, and then
there's the piece that changes. Yes, it's definitely changing. As

(38:08):
I mentioned, I think, you know, again the same analogy
your program build, and you certainly don't put your head
in the sand when you make mistakes or things can
be better. You know, you have to look at everything.
I'm a big boy, you know what I mean. I
don't get sense those things. It's like you better address them,

(38:29):
look at them and get better, you know. But there's also,
you know, certain aspects that you know you'd just better
build a good team.

Speaker 1 (38:40):
And of course, unlike twenty thirteen, he couldn't bring in
fifty new players via recruiting and the portal, which is
exactly what he's done this time. And I think he's
got maybe a better staff than he had back then,
so it should be interesting. You're listening to the best
of the Big New Insider. Our number two is next
here on six thirty.

Speaker 5 (38:59):
W like meat such.

Speaker 6 (39:14):
Packing back out such?

Speaker 1 (40:45):
Hey, it's stick, Gabriel, Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider.
Our number two taking a little time off, so please
enjoy the best of the Big Blue Insider. One day
closer to college football thanks to Corey Price, who tells
us via Twitter that it's fifty one days away and
a player he chose to signify that the jersey number.

(41:06):
Johnny Williams a linebacker who signed with Kentucky coming out
of high school. His freshman year was twenty four, so
he signs with Kentucky and rich Brooks at a time
when it wasn't a popular thing to do. Kentucky had
been drilled by the NCAA for some recruiting violations, and

(41:27):
Williams was a speedy linebacker from Neptune Beach, Florida. Rich
Brooks couldn't quit talking about him when they signed him.
When they brought him in, I remember more than once
he would talk about this Johnny Williams. Now you guys
got to watch for him, and he was good. I
had a good Kentucky career. He played in three bowl games,
played from four to eight, played in the two Music

(41:50):
City Bowls and the Liberty Bowl, and his senior year
didn't get to the NFL. But his senior year he
had five sacks as a linebacker and two forced fumbles
eight tackles for loss. In the three seasons leading up
to that, actually played from five to eight, and the

(42:11):
three seasons leading up to that, he had a total
of five tackles for loss and no sacks. So they
used him differently obviously in twenty eight and it paid
off for the Wildcat. So Johnny Williams and what I
remember as much about him as anything is we talked
all the time about football weather. It's football weather. And

(42:34):
one day after practice and it was one of those gray,
gnarly cold days, probably in late October early November, and
we were talking to Johnny and the Florida guy and
we said something like, yeah, you know, they say this
is football weather. Johnny said, who decides that? So you
know you can understand why a Florida guy never got

(42:55):
too comfortable, But you know who else didn't get comfortable
with the cold. Rich Brooks, even though he played and
coached for the longest time in Oregon, whether weather gets
a little raw and grizzly, he hated cold weather, never
shied away from bundling up, and if we were waiting
to talk to him and players after practice on a

(43:17):
cold day, oftentimes coaches would say, now, go get the
players first. I'll wait. No, rich Brooks like, let's do
this now, guys, so you could get inside so and
I don't blame him for that at all, especially the
older I get. So I really enjoyed covering rich Brooks's teams.
I'm gonna talk a little bit of football in basketball
tonight with Justin Rowland of Cats Illustrated. Also, we'll talk

(43:42):
hoops and baseball with Darren Headrick, radio voice of the
UK Women and the UK Baseball Wildcats. And we've also
got a conversation coming up with Craig Skinner, Kentucky volleyball coach.
He has been named once again the preseason Coach of
the Year. His team picked to win the SEC the
Volleyball Championship, not Texas, which was picked last year, but

(44:04):
Kentucky won another and eighth straight SEC championship, but the
Wildcats have been picked definitively to win the SEC title
once again. So we'll talk to Craig Skinner coming up.
That'll be an hour number two. He and Darren and
our number two Justin Rowland coming up at the bottom
of the hour. Interesting video clip out there and circulated

(44:27):
by Kentucky Men's Basketball on Twitter or x if you will.
They scrimmage just about every day. Every time they practice
five on five, they do a lot of five on fives.
And the Blue team yesterday beat the White team fifteen
to twelve on the strength of a three pointer that's

(44:47):
right by Malachi Moreno. But it wasn't your square up
beyond the arc three point shot, which Malachi and every
Wildcat will be expected to take and make this year. No.
This a heave from about three quarters court from about
the free throw line at the other end of the floor,
just before the buzzer, Malachai Moreno throws one in and

(45:12):
gives the Blue team the victory. Moreno, Denzel Aberdeen, O
takea Oway, Trent Noah, Brandon Hawthorn against the White team.
Jalen Low, Colin Chandler, Cam Williams, Mohammad Di Abe and
Brandon Garrison. They were playing for a pair of Kobe
eight venice beach shoes. These are these multi colored Kobe

(45:34):
eight shoes. Each guy each on the winning team would
get a pair. Right, Well, the heave survived the review.
It was obviously not a video review, but somebody on
the sideline, I don't know it was Pope or an
assistant ruled the shot was good. So the Blue team
wins it fifteen to twelve. You can go to Twitter
and find it under Kentucky Men's basketball and you'll also

(45:58):
see the players getting their shoes and you'll hear a
message from the precocist freshman Malachia Moreno on camera boot team. Here.

Speaker 7 (46:08):
We got to win today, so we got the early at.

Speaker 1 (46:10):
The Kobe gates and yeah, this is a little winners get,
so be a winner. That's Malchi Moreno from Great Crossing
High School. The state were defending state champion and now
a Kentucky Wildcat wearing number twenty four. If you're interested,
and he is going to be I think just really

(46:30):
special this year. I hope he plays more than one year,
but at that size, you never know if this will
be his one and only college year. But Mark Pope,
in his pre summer workout comments on each player, of course,
had great things to say about the seven footer.

Speaker 7 (46:47):
Is Malachi Moreno. I'm telling you what, man like. It
seems like every day college evaluators and NBA evaluators fall
more and more in love with him. He just is
he just is.

Speaker 1 (47:01):
He is.

Speaker 7 (47:03):
Like he's you know, he's just he just keeps getting better,
and he is getting better every day. He We're really
excited to have him on here. And you know, as
much as I say about those two kids in their
basketball skill, I think they're great young people, man, And
the fact that they get to come here and represent
everything that Kentucky is. I mean, I still have all
my ky till I die. Gear. I love that so much,

(47:26):
you know, Viya, Jasper Johnson and and both those guys
feel that way, and they're going to be really special.

Speaker 1 (47:33):
And Pope referred to Jasper Johnson because he had just
spoken about Johnson. I think the question initially put to
him was about Jasper Johnson and expectations for Jasper, and
then he just kind of slid right into the comment
about the other true freshman from Kentucky and Malachi Marino
So here's what he said about Jasper Johnson, the guy

(47:53):
who is expected to be one of Kentucky's better shooters
and scorers of young man from Woodford County for sales listen.

Speaker 7 (48:04):
I think Jasper Johnson is a superstar. I expect him
to come in here and be great and for every
for every freshman, there is a learning curve in terms
of the physicality and intensity of the game, the relentless
physicality intensity of the game. But Jasper Johnson has got
a really, really incredible skill set. He's one of those guys.

(48:26):
There are very few players that just go get a
shot whenever they want it. He can do it. He's
got an ability to get skinny and kind of do
things defensively that are gonna be surprising. I think he's
got an incredible upside on the defensive side of the ball. Also,
I think he's got a he's got a crafty, slippery
nature when you get downhill, he's got a poise about him.
He's a little bit unflappable. He's he He's able to

(48:50):
kind of metabolize a lot of input and and kind
of keep himself even keeled. I think he's a big
shot maker. I expect him to be to be great,
like he needs to come here and be great.

Speaker 1 (49:02):
I have to tell you I was at that press conference.
I've been in a lot of them and been around
for a while. I can never recall a Kentucky coach
of any sport, male, female, whatever the sport being as
blunt in an assessment of an incoming freshman about expectations

(49:27):
for the upcoming season. And again, he may be here
just one year. But when Pope said that about Jasper
Johnson being a superstar and what they expect of him,
I thought, well, again, this is a different way to
do business. Because you know, and you've heard it, what
coaches will say about players. They don't want to set

(49:48):
the bar too high or you know, make the kids
head spin or whatever. Generally it's he has a chance
or she has a chance to be a really good player,
and then they go on to talk about skill sets
and things like that. But at a program such as Kentucky,
which has been rife with superstars and a roster that

(50:13):
is as deep and talented as this Kentucky roster is
to be, that blunt I think is interesting on more
than one level. As I said, because you just don't
hear that from coaches. But again, Mark Pope, you talk
about march into a different drummer man, I'd love to
know about the drummer in his head. But I don't

(50:36):
believe that was just an emotional response that he blurted out.
I think that that was something that Pope meant to
say and obviously believes it and believes that that's the
right thing, of course, to say about Jasper Johnson at
this point. And you know, I don't know exactly why

(50:59):
he put it that strongly and that bluntly, but I
find that singularly fascinating that he would put that at
the feet of an incoming freshman. And he's probably not
wrong from everything I hear about Jasper Johnson. And again,
if you missed it, a couple of weeks ago, we
had his middle school coach on the show, DJ Mobley,

(51:22):
who is the girls coach now at Frederick Douglas, but
he coached Jasper in middle school and as a sixth grader.
He said this kid was so good that DJ told
Dennis Johnson, another DJ, Jasper's dad, the former UK defensive

(51:45):
and who played in the NFL, and wanted his son.
At that point to be a football player because he
was playing both at the time. But DJ told DJ said,
this is an NBA player in the sixth grade. And
I talk with with the coach about this prior to
the girls Sweet sixteen off the air, and I said,

(52:07):
you know, this is not something you say every day
about this player and that player. He said no, but
he recognized that skill or that ability, that potential in
Jasper Johnson. So yeah, there's a lot to like about
this Kentucky basketball team. And no football fans were not
skipping over that. But football right now, it's kind of
in radio silence leading up to SEC media Days, but

(52:30):
there's a lot to talk about with basketball, and more
than anything, I'm looking forward to seeing these two freshmen.
There are some really fascinating transfers who came in through
the portal and we got a chance to talk to
him this week, Cam Williams, Jayden Quainton's But I want
to see these freshmen and with Mourno of course, I

(52:52):
got to see him in the Sweet sixteen each to
the last two years. And my daughter used to teach
at Great Crossing and encountered Malachi quite a bit, loved him.
So those two players to me, are as interesting as
any on the roster, so it should be a fun year.
You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
More to come here on six thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel.

(53:15):
Welcome back to the Best of the Big Blue Insider.
This was Volleyball Media Day and we just had Craig
Skinner on the show not too long ago after Kentucky
was picked to win the SEC. So we thought we
would share our conversation from today with Molly Tuzzo. She's
a veteran, she's a junior. You know, there's only one
senior on this team. That's pretty amazing. Molly Tuzzo was

(53:37):
a backup last year until about a third of the
way into the season before they played WKU and Morehead State,
and she was inserted by Craig Skinner into the lineup
at libroro. And of course Kentucky already had one of
the best in the conference in Eleanor Bevin, but Molly
Tuzzo had beaten her out for that position. Libro is
the free substitution defensive player, really important position in volleyball,

(54:02):
and Bevan, as I said, was one of the best
and she shifted over to become the defensive specialists basically
in the lineup when she played, but Tuzzo took over
as lie bro and they never could get her out
of the lineup. She was so good. So she was
one of the players who came to media Day today
and we talk with her about the fact that Kentucky

(54:23):
has been picked by an overwhelming number of votes to
win yet another NC or rather SEC championship. That will
be nine straight for the Wildcats, and they were picked
to win ahead of the Texas Longhorns.

Speaker 3 (54:35):
I think it just kind of feels our fire even
more knowing that we always have a target on our back.
It's a lot, but I think we kind of like it,
and it gives us like that edge to just keep
getting better and better and never settle or become complacent.
So I think we really enjoy kind of having that
target on our back and not letting them take it
from us.

Speaker 1 (54:54):
Defending champs you carry that, I mean, yeah, what's that like?

Speaker 3 (54:59):
I mean, it's an on our It's great. It's super
fun and exciting that we get to do that so
many years in a row. And I think we're not
done yet and we just want to keep getting them
every single year and eventually a national championship we're hoping
for this year, but I think just I don't know,
keeping that title and getting done and.

Speaker 1 (55:16):
You know, obviously they've won the national highway here, so.

Speaker 6 (55:19):
That's not.

Speaker 4 (55:21):
Right for sure.

Speaker 1 (55:22):
What about that goal.

Speaker 3 (55:24):
I think it's a it's a hard thing to do,
but we're ready to do it this year. And we've
already put in so much work and we've had the
great opportunity of getting all of our transfers in freshmen
in the spring in early January, so we really utilized
that time to just grow closer to each other and
play for each other. And this group is super special
and we all are so bought into each other and
the team that I think it's a super exciting year

(55:45):
for us.

Speaker 1 (55:47):
You're inserted into the starting lineup last year, and I
know it's all about competition and practice, but tell me
about fighting your way in and then that's a heck
of a role that you will play. Yes, what does
that mean to you? And especially going into this.

Speaker 3 (56:03):
I think it's it's a big role to fill and
it was tough at first, but I think I don't know,
it's kind of my personality. It's just competitive and I
want to keep that role and I'm going to do
everything I can to work harder and get better so
I can obtain that.

Speaker 1 (56:18):
It's Molly Tezzo. She's a junior from the Woodlands, which
is in Greater Houston. They played great volleyball the club
volleyball down in Texas and was a great get for
Craig Skinner, and she is one of the players they'll
be counting on to win yet another SEC championship and
make a run at a second national title. None of
the kids on this Kentucky team was on that national

(56:41):
championship team. But as we talked with him earlier today,
knowing that this program has won a national title means
that they know it's possible. It's not just some abstract dream.
You know. They can go out, compete for and win
a national title. Won't be easy, but they've got a
good team. They've got some transfers coming in, including a

(57:01):
kid named Eva Hudson who led the Big Ten last
year and kills per set at Purdue, which is a
college volleyball power women's volleyball She averaged four point eight
kills per set. Folks, that's a lot and she is
transferred in. She was the Freshman of the Year at
Purdue in twenty twenty two. She's been an All American

(57:22):
All Big Ten at Purdue. As good as the SEC
is at volleyball, and it's getting better every year. It's
not the best conference, it's arguably the Big Ten. And
to get a player who has one more year left
out of a program like Purdue to spend her last
season in Kentucky, that's huge, and so that'll be a

(57:42):
big help for the Wildcats. And of course you've got
Brooklyn Delay already. She was Player of the Year and
an All American last year for the Wildcats. So this
should be a really fun, interesting year if they can
stay healthy. For the volleyball Cats all about winning. But
Scottie Scheffler, after winning the Open, made some really interesting

(58:03):
comments and he sort of reiterated what he had said
after winning the Byron Nelson and his home stomping grounds,
and he wondered aloud to the assembled media and basically
asking why do we do this? You know, what is
it that drives us to win? Win? Win? Because he said,
then you get there and you realize it's not the

(58:25):
be all and the end all and here he is
obviously a professional golfer, but it could be any athlete
making these comments. And here's part of what Scottie Scheffler
said the other day. And I just thought this was fascinating.

Speaker 8 (58:38):
It feels like you work your whole life to celebrate
winning a tournament for like a few minutes. It only
lasts a few minutes, that kind of euphoric feeling. And
I like to win the Bayern Nelson Championship at home.
I literally worked my entire life to become good at
golf to have an opportunity to win that tournament. And
you win it, you celebrate, get to hug, hug my family,

(58:59):
my sister's there. Such an amazing moment, and then it's like, okay,
now what are we gonna eat for dinner? You know,
life goes on. This is it great to be able
to win tournaments and to accomplish the things I have
in the game of golf. Yet I mean it, it
brings tears my eysers to think about because it's literally
worked my entire life to become good at the sport

(59:20):
and to have that kind of sense of accomplishment, I
think is is a pretty cool feeling. You know, to
get to live out your dreams.

Speaker 5 (59:26):
It's very special.

Speaker 8 (59:27):
But at the end of the day, it's like, I'm
not out here to inspire the next generation of golfers.
I don't I'm not here to inspire somebody else to
be the best player in the world, because what's the point?
You know, this is not a fulfilling life. It's it's
fulfilling from the sense of accomplishment, but it's not fulfilling
from a sense of like the deepest, you know, places
of your heart. You know, there's a lot of people

(59:47):
that make it to what they thought was going to
fulfill them in life, and then you get there and
all of a sudden you get to number one in
the world, and then they're like, what's the point? And
you know, I really do believe that, because you know,
what is the point? Why do I want to win
this tournament so bad? That's something that I wrestle with
on a daily basis. It's like showing up with.

Speaker 6 (01:00:04):
The Masters every year.

Speaker 8 (01:00:05):
It's like, why do I want to win this golf
tournament so badly? Why do I want to win the
Open Championship so badly? I don't know, because if I win,
it's going to be awesome for about two minutes, and
then we're going to get to the next week and
it's gonna be like, hey, you want two majors this year,
how important is it for you to win the fex coupleoffs.
It's just like we're back.

Speaker 5 (01:00:23):
Here again, you know.

Speaker 1 (01:00:25):
And he emphasized he's not taking his career for granted,
he's not taking golf for granted. He loves it, he
loves the work, he loves the competition. But he said,
I'd rather be a great father if he had to
choose a great father to his son, then a great golfer.
And he said when he goes to work, to go
out each day to practice when he's not even playing,

(01:00:48):
he said, his wife thanks him for the hard work
so he can provide for the family. And he said,
in turn, he thanks her for taking care of their
son when he's out traveling the world playing golf and
you know, thankfully winning big bucks. But I just thought
that was an interesting comment to make from the best
golfer in the world. Hey, it's Dick Gabriel and you're

(01:01:09):
listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider. It's
Dick Gabriel. Welcome back. To the best of the Big
Blue Insider. We're going to talk here off the top
about money because money is front and center now. Well
it always is, and always has been and always will
be when it comes to college athletics, but more so
now than ever, what with the new rulings about players

(01:01:32):
being paid, the amount of money that schools have to
come up with now twenty million dollars plus to pay players,
and in one way or the other, they got to
figure it out. One of the ways UK is trying
to figure things out is raising ticket prices on students.
UK has a sports budget and athletics budget now of

(01:01:55):
one hundred and fifty million dollars. I've talked about this
more than once and again. I've been around forever. I
remember when a top fifty million. I remember when a
top one hundred million. I had not covered board meetings
in a while, and I was stunned when I heard
it was up to one hundred and fifty million. But
you've got prices escalating, You've got inflation. I talk about

(01:02:18):
this all the time. The more trips that your teams
take via charter, your athletics department has to worry about
the cost of jet fuel. Which is going up. But
again Larry Ivy told me this many many years ago,
more than twenty years ago. The item that was climbing
the fastest in terms of cost. What he was the

(01:02:39):
ad and I'll promise you it has not stopped or
backed up is insurance. People forget about this when these
idiots talk about how, oh, scholarships aren't worth much of anything,
you know, beyond a free education, room and board, clothing,
high priced clothing. All of that housing these kids and

(01:03:01):
good for them, are covered when it comes to insurance,
full medical and dental while they're on scholarship. And those
prices climb as you know, those of us who are
fortunate to have insurance we know goes up every year,
every couple of years. So these dollar figures are escalating.

(01:03:24):
And now and UK's got you know, decent enough pockets,
not super deep, but a lot of responsibility when it
comes to its athletic budget. Now you tack on twenty million,
what is that twelve to fifteen percent more, it's inevitable
that ticket prices would go up, including for students. And

(01:03:47):
I know back in the day students either got in
free or they had to pay five bucks to get
into a basketball or a football game, and they can
still get in free to other events. But now for
the twenty five twenty six season, basketball season passes for
students will cost three hundred and forty five dollars. That's

(01:04:08):
still a great bargain, but for a student, and that's
up from two hundred for last year. That's a seventy
percent increase. Now you can buy a single game ticket,
but the cost of that ticket will range from fifteen
to forty dollars instead of eleven to twenty for last year.

(01:04:29):
Football season pass one hundred and forty five dollars, more
than sixty percent increase from ninety bucks during the last year.
And I will tell you and you know this if
you go to UK football games, and sometimes you'll see
it on TV, student sections are the first ones to
show up empty for whatever reason. And that's my man, Jepikoro.

(01:04:53):
It's a constant source of frustration for him, as he says,
what else is there to do on a Saturday, Well,
apparently there's something, but if it costs money, then you've
got to make a decision. If you're a student. I
happen to think it's still a pretty good deal, but
I like going to football games. Now again, I don't
have to pay, but I did go to football games

(01:05:15):
as a student as a fan when I was a
UK before I started covering games. So anyhow, we'll see
what the fallout is. It's going to be interesting to
see how the ticket price increase affects the eruption zone
in Rupe Arena. Of course, that is kind of the
heart and soul of Kentucky basketball. The fan base, especially
in the big games, always announced as the sixth man

(01:05:37):
in rupp Aerina. But it's going to be interesting to
see if there are empty spaces there. There are already
empty spaces at football games and the student sections at
some of the games. The biggest games still draw good
crowds from the students and they still make it a
great event. And Mark Stoops makes it a point to
mention that after big games about the atmosphere Kentucky football games.

(01:05:59):
But you've got to think that this will eat into
the crowds even more at football and perhaps at basketball.
And it won't take long to see, because there are
some games early in the season for the basketball Wildcats
where they aren't necessarily the highest profile opponents. So we'll
see what the students have to say, will they speak

(01:06:19):
with their wallets? Will they speak with their Venmo accounts?
It won't be long now. I got to think around
the country when this news gets out, it's already out
that there will probably be some people in the world
of college athletics to say, hey, Kentucky just raised prices
on its student tickets for basketball. Wow, let's keep an
eye on that. Everybody's keeping an eye on everybody else.

(01:06:43):
And one of the schools that is really casting a wide,
broad shadow is Texas Tech. Texas Tech out there in
West Texas, that's oil country, is spending a lot of money.
You probably know. They spent a million dollars on a
softball pitcher and it paid off. They got to the

(01:07:06):
championship game. They lost to Texas. Didn't buy a championship,
but bought an appearance in the championship game. And they're
spreading it out. And why is this happening. Well, there
is a company out there called Double Eagle Energy, led
by a man named Cody Campbell. He was a three

(01:07:26):
year starter not that long ago, on the offensive line
at Texas Tech from twenty oh one to four, so
a little more than twenty years ago. He and a
man named John Sellers, who was a teammate of his
both at Kenyon High School and Texas Tech. They were
the Canyon Eagles. That's why it's called Double Eagle Energy.

(01:07:49):
And they began to buy the land when the housing
market collapsed back in twentyh eight, and they scoured the
Permian basin looking for leases and looking to buy mineral
rights with no guarantees, and according to a story on
cbsports dot com, they were closer to bankruptcy than billionaire status.

(01:08:16):
But timing was perfect. Oil prices crashed, Double Eagles snapped
up huge chunks of land out there. And when you
can do that, trust me in West Texas and you
can figure this out for yourself. I lived in Texas.
I knew people who owned land in West Texas and
were hoping to find oil. But the more land you have,

(01:08:40):
the better chance you have at finding oil. You can
drill here, drill there. And they hit it big and
earlier this year, Campbell and Sellers they made one of
their biggest deals ever and sold land for more than
four billion dollars worth of cash and stock. So now

(01:09:04):
you got a guy like Cody Campbell, a fourth generation
Texas Tech red Raider. His grandfather was part of the
first ever class at Texas Tech in nineteen twenty five.
His brother and his father both played at Texas and
he is now chairman of the Board of Regents. So

(01:09:26):
he is a big deal, not just financially but in
terms of clout at his alma mater. I think you
spent a little time playing for the Colts, but he
came back and is pouring money into his alma mater.
So I read an anecdote on cbsports dot com. Last

(01:09:49):
year Tech lost to Colorado and a fan apparently jeered
at him on social media and said, hey, buy us
an O line and Campbell back. Simply I will, and
he spends. Cbssports dot com is where you can find it.
If you want to just google it. Just type in

(01:10:11):
cbssports dot com Texas Tech. It'll come up. All in
on the Nil and the billionaire Landman Responsible. I know
there's a series out now. It's a really good one
with Billy Bob Thornton called Landman. Not the same guy,
not the same story, but interesting nonetheless. Up next, we'll

(01:10:33):
talk more wildcat sports, which Kentucky players might leave via
the Pro Draft. Wildcats playing in the summer leagues at
in Vegas. And Livy Dunn, the girlfriend of Paul Skens,
the well known gymnast from LSU, former LSU tiger who

(01:10:54):
was one of the first to jump on that nil money.
A little bit of a stepback for your sitting to
the best of the Big Blue Insider. More to come
here on six point thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome
back to the best of the Big Blue Insider. I
did not know this, but the Honey Badger is retiring. Yep.
Tron Matthew, who made a name for himself, of course

(01:11:17):
at LSU, was a bit of a problem child in college,
but tremendous pro and one of the great nicknames a
honey Badger, never shook it. In fact, he embraced it.
A consensus Al American at LSU that won the Chuck
Butneric Award as the best defensive player in college football.
Remember Josh Allen won that award. He was a finalist

(01:11:40):
for the Heisman Trophy. Got kicked out of school at
LSU after a violation of team rules, but after he
spent a year out of football. In twenty twelve, chosen
by the Arizona Cardinals lasted till the third round, and
there he played with his former college teammate Patrick Peterson.
Made All Rookie, made All Pro, played for the Texans.

(01:12:04):
The Chiefs won a Super Bowl in Kansas City and
finished up in New Orleans. Fittingly enough, So the Honey
Badger is retiring at age thirty three, but he's played
twelve years a pro football, still aged thirty three, and
there's still guys going strong in the NFL. So many
the other stuff going on in this broke yesterday, but

(01:12:27):
attorneys with the House Settlement, the plaint of Attorneys have
settled their disagreement over the NIL collective situation basically with
the College Sports Commission. They sued College Sports Commission stepped in,
you might recall, and basically tried to provide more regulation

(01:12:49):
when it came to the dollars that went from NIL
deals to the athletes, they wanted it to go more
directly through the schools, and almost immediately it was predictable.
Attorneys for the various collectors jumped up and said, all right,
we'll see about that, and they sued. So now the
collectives are basically back in business the way they want

(01:13:11):
to be, so I really believe this is a step back,
But it just seems like any time there's a lawsuit
now the school side of things or the NCAA, if
you will, they either back off or they lose. So
I don't know if they just need better lawyers or
they're already in an unwinnable situation. But they asked the

(01:13:32):
House plaint of attorneys asked them to retract the guidance
that they had set up, and that's exactly what's going on.
So it's still a bit of the wild West. I
think you're seeing things come around a little bit more,
but it's just a crazy time. And to that end,
at the ACC kickoff luncheon, the commissioner, Jim Phillips got

(01:13:55):
up and talked for nearly an hour, and part of
his message was about the fact that Clemson and Florida
State have settled there they're no longer suing to leave
the league, but there is new language within the ACC
agreements that could make it easier for teams to leave

(01:14:17):
the conference. According to one story, the legal settlement significantly
decreased the league's exit fees by tens of millions, and
they used to having what was called an ironclad grant
of rights media deal. Apparently that's been dissolved, and now
the feeling is the team that's gonna want to bolt

(01:14:39):
is North Carolina. And if that happens, you know, you
and I both know where North Carolina's going to land.
Say hello to the Southeastern Conference. And again, this could
be another situation where it's good for the SEC bad
for college sports if the ACC falls apart, and right
now it's too big eighteen now in football there's seventeen

(01:15:03):
minus Notre Dame and it's coast to coast. It's ridiculous,
but that's where we are. But if this thing falls apart,
how is that good for college sports? They're trying to
bring the PAC twelve back to give the West Coast
more identity. It's not an identity issue when you're talking
about the East Coast. But if these schools start falling

(01:15:25):
to the wayside from the ACC the SEC, can you
imagine what that's going to be like. So keep an
eye on that. But I personally would hate to see
North Carolina in the SEC. I don't know why. It
just didn't seem right, just didn't seem right to me.

(01:15:45):
A couple other football stories that are out there. You
might recall that Scott Frost made headlines at Central Florida
UCF's his second turn down there. He's the guy who
coached U see after that undefeated season, went to Nebraska.
They fired him after two years. He just had a
terrible time. And this is a guy who was a
quarterback for Nebraska's national championship team back in the nineties,

(01:16:09):
and at UCF to ask him, what did you learn,
and he said, basically, it was the wrong job for him,
and people ripped him, media, people, fans, which I didn't understand.
And maybe it's because you and I saw a situation
here at Kentucky where a guy took a job that
was not right for him. It was a bad fit.

(01:16:31):
And obviously i'm talking about Billy Gillespie. Billy never should
have taken this job based on his personality, his track record,
the way he treats people. He didn't want to be
the quote unquote ambassador, just wanted to coach basketball. And
you can debate how well he did that here Kentucky,
but in terms of being the coach, it was a

(01:16:52):
terrible fit. They had to hire him in a hurry
because recruiting deadlines were coming up, and after he took
the job, he tried to leave, tried to go back
to A and M. A and M said, now we're
good and it just wasn't a good fit. Well, Scott Frost,
even though that was his alma mater, it wasn't a

(01:17:13):
good fit. And you know who took up for him.
Matt Ruhle, the new coach at Nebraska, had big ten
media days. He said, I have a ton of respect
for Scott. He said, I've been very empathetic for what
he went through because he said, because this was his home.
Rule said, if you guys fire me tomorrow, I'm just
gonna go back to Cape Mayn and sit on the beach,
go back to where I'm from. But he said this

(01:17:35):
was his home. So Frost said he learned from his
experience not to take the wrong job and in hindsight
said it wasn't a good move. And Rule said, I understand,
He said, I agree with him. He said, I know
what it felt like to get run out of Carolina.
He was the head coach of the Panthers for two
plus seasons in the NFL, and now he says, I

(01:17:59):
don't think I took the right job for me. It
wasn't the right fit doesn't mean it's a bad job.
I think that's what a lot of people were jumping
on with Scott Frost. People, you know, the knee jerk
reaction right away. What do you mean, Nebraska, that's a
great job. Well, you know, it's all about fit. Kentucky's
a great job. Not everybody can do it. So let's

(01:18:20):
all learn from that, shall we. And while we're learning,
let's all learn from Mike Vrabel. He's the new head
coach of the New England Patriots. Did a great job
in Tennessee. They fired him anyway. But your reporters out there,
especially the guys who covered the Patriots, they learned yesterday
that you got to pay attention if you're sitting there

(01:18:43):
covering a news conference. Because apparently a reporter asked a
question of the head coach and Mike Vrabel allowed us
out that was pretty much what another guy had already asked,
and h yeah, he scolded the reporter who apparently hadn't
been paying attention.

Speaker 9 (01:19:01):
I mean, whether you were in a coma when I
answered Tom's question or typing on your phone or tweeting,
I don't know, but I spent five minutes answering that question,
and I can go back through it, but I'd rather not.

Speaker 1 (01:19:17):
I don't know what they were talking about. I don't
know what the question was, but clearly Mike brabel and
and then he went on to kind of give an answer,
and he didn't rip into him, but he did scold
him a little bit, so folks got to pay attention.
That'll do it for now. Thanks for joining us for
this special edition the best of the Big Blue Insider.
That's it. Good night from the garage.

Speaker 5 (01:19:37):
In Lexington, doing.

Speaker 6 (01:20:16):
The shop, doing can.

Speaker 10 (01:20:22):
Anything to anything taken?

Speaker 6 (01:20:48):
I think think like Talon is donattttos