2025-08-08 - BBI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's stick Gabriel taking a little bit of time off,
so we thought we would replace some of the best
interviews from over the last several months. Please enjoy the
best of the Big Blue Insider. And I had a
chance to chat and talk football with another former Wildcat
who was an NFL vetteran himself, and that's Wesley Woodyard.
How many times, as a young man who maybe is

(00:21):
not quite as young anymore, come up to you and
say you helped me early in my life.

Speaker 2 (00:25):
I got to think that happens once in a while.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
It's it's one of the brightest spots, you know that
that does happen. You know, when you're doing work like this,
you know you're never trying to do it to get paid.
You know you're never trying to really do it to
get any recognition. But the but the best recognition to me,
like you just said, Dick, is when a kid comes
up and say, hey, I remember when you when you

(00:50):
came and did something at our.

Speaker 4 (00:51):
School, or I remember when you.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Gave us an Amazon Kindle, or I remember when I
got my back back to school book back from you.

Speaker 4 (01:00):
That's an amazing cent.

Speaker 3 (01:01):
And last night I was doing some work with a
kid and he ran up to me and he was like, hey,
I remember you. You miss a woodyard.

Speaker 4 (01:07):
You and your MLB baseball friend.

Speaker 3 (01:10):
You guys came over and held a summer camp for
me and my classmates.

Speaker 4 (01:16):
We enjoyed it.

Speaker 3 (01:16):
And that kid is now trying out for a local
high school here in Florida. So it's amazing to get
that love and respect and to know that you're actually
changing these young men and young women's life.

Speaker 2 (01:29):
That's awesome. That's a great story.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
I got to talk a little football, but first of all,
was say, I wonder if your ears were burning a
couple of weeks ago, because I was talking to Danny
Trevathan about you, Danny going into the Kentucky Pro Football
Hall of Fame. You were inducted about eight years ago,
and he talked about just the effect that he you
had on him, a little bit younger than you, but

(01:53):
he said, you know, you were just a great leader
and a great influence on him. And he of course
had a great career in the NFL one of title
with your Broncos h but you had to be happy
for him, I know. And there's a guy who, like you,
I think was maybe an underappreciated, undervalued linebacker.

Speaker 3 (02:12):
Absolutely man, me and Danny, we we fit the same mold,
you know when uh, well, my senior, my senior class,
when we graduated, Danny Danny's freshman class replacement. And I
immediately you got to talking to my linebacker coach at
the school, coach Coach Smith, and I'm like, hey, who's

(02:32):
the Who's who's the linebackers that I got to look for?

Speaker 4 (02:35):
And he was like, you know, Danny's daddy kid. He's
pretty good. I think he plays a lot like you.
I think he plays a lot like you. With I
was like, wait, hold up, coach, nobody plays like me.

Speaker 3 (02:47):
And he was like, yeah, he runs around, he flows
around just like you. So I got I got to
watching some of this film and you know, building that
relationship with him, and and and of course watching him
put up only some taples almost every week. It seemed
like in the sec I knew he was going to
be a good player. Actually mentioned him to my coaches doing.

Speaker 4 (03:09):
The draft in Denver and.

Speaker 3 (03:11):
Was like, man, I would love to get a chance
to play with Danny. And not that they listened to me,
of course, they listened to their upper execs and where
the Copper, but they end they ended up drafting Danny.
They you know they do their dude Didnigens that comeby
during the comebine and ask if you know about him?
So I was on board with Danny and I always
dreamed about playing with uh playing in the NFL, with

(03:34):
any Kentucky linebacker. I had a chance to play with
several Kentucky linebackers that came out, and Danny was one
of those guys that man I was like, you know what, this.

Speaker 4 (03:44):
Is my little brother. He's a linebacker from Kentucky.

Speaker 3 (03:47):
So all I know is if we ever get a
chance to play on the same field, we're about to
do some work.

Speaker 4 (03:52):
And that's that's exactly what we did.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
So, man, I was so excited to hear Danny getting
elected into the Kentucky Hall of Fame. He's they're the
great leader, amazing player for the wildcast, one of the
best guys I ever put on that blue and.

Speaker 1 (04:07):
White, absolutely, and he had this speed going for him.
He was one of the fastest linebackers whoever played at
Kentucky to the point where you were gone, But Danny
talked somehow talked the coaches into letting him return a
kick in the Blue White game.

Speaker 2 (04:23):
You know, we're all.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
Sitting upstairs walking what in the world, you know? And
he did okay, but then he injured his wrists in
that game, and then the coaches quickly said no, they
shut him down. But but you know, he started playing linebacker,
and you did a little bit to that as well.

Speaker 2 (04:37):
When the position began to evolve and involved more.

Speaker 1 (04:40):
Coverage and things like that, it became more of a
hybrid position that fit your skill set too, didn't it.

Speaker 4 (04:48):
That's that's correct. I was.

Speaker 3 (04:51):
I was in one of those funky transitional stages coming
out of college, as well as the NFL too, because
the league was going to to biggers linebackers, three four defenses.

Speaker 4 (05:04):
But there was.

Speaker 3 (05:05):
Something that nobody expected, tight ends like Jacob Tammy that
couldn't be covered because linebackers couldn't run with him. And
I'll never forget my last day of safety at Kentucky.
We were playing cover two and I was a half
field safety. We're running our offenses, running.

Speaker 4 (05:24):
An option play.

Speaker 3 (05:25):
To my left. On this beach is the running back.
I run down. I hit the quarterback. He flits the
ball to Artist. I get up go tackle.

Speaker 4 (05:33):
Artist for a lost and I'm getting hype. I'm talking
about Oh yeah, look at that. I was like, man.

Speaker 3 (05:40):
Coach Brown and Coach Archer ran up to me and
was like, what are you doing, Like, we don't need
a safety making a tackle.

Speaker 4 (05:47):
In the backfield and cover two. You're going you're moving
the linebackers.

Speaker 3 (05:52):
I did. I didn't take I didn't take that seriously,
but I was like, dang, they might move me linebacker
in lord behold. I go into Coach Brooks office like
a week in the season, like, hey, you know, I
want to play linebacker, and that's what he looked at
me too, and he was like, yeah, I think we're
going to move you to linebacker too. Don't worry about it,

(06:14):
You'll be playing a linebacker. It was the right of
season for me.

Speaker 5 (06:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (06:19):
It changed your life and it changed the trajectory at
the Kentucky football program.

Speaker 2 (06:23):
And I'm glad you brought up Rich Brooks.

Speaker 1 (06:24):
We just have a couple minutes left, but there are
three photos of you on the poster for your golf tournament,
one with the Broncos, one with the Titans. But your
UK photo, Wesley, is you hugging Rich Brooks. I think
that's after the Music City Bowl win one of them.
And you had such a great relationship with rich Brooks
at the point where you either one who went to

(06:45):
Mitch Barnard and said we're going to get this thing
turned around on the Rich Brooks and you certainly did
tell me about your relationship with him, because again he's
a guy like you wasn't appreciated nearly enough till he
was gone.

Speaker 3 (07:00):
Yeah, man, main coach Bruce, we have a great relationship
from from day one. Just just a truth sohulmn of
a what a what a man should be as far
as somebody that's trying to become a man. And I'll
never forget when I came up there on my visit,
he looked at me and he was like, you're one
of the guys that we need to turn.

Speaker 4 (07:20):
This program around.

Speaker 3 (07:21):
And I've never really had anybody. You know, when you
go on to recruited trips you're going to you're just
another You're just another guy.

Speaker 4 (07:29):
You know, you walk.

Speaker 3 (07:29):
Around, you know there's way bigger players, you know, guys that.

Speaker 4 (07:34):
Have four or five stars. Uh. But when he he
said he saw it to me when.

Speaker 3 (07:39):
On my visit, that just stuck with me, Like, man,
I want to come here and I want to help change.

Speaker 4 (07:43):
The program around.

Speaker 3 (07:44):
I want to help put Kentucky football on the map
and make a legacy for this program. And I was
able to do that with my my freshman class coming
in and some of the guys that was there as
well bought in full speed. But man, from day one,
Coach Brooks had an open door policy, and I think
that's all you can respect As a young man coming

(08:05):
into college, you're away from your family. You need to
find somebody that you can trust and rely on. So
these college coaches, I know they're in a shaky world
now with nil and players voices are way powerful now
than they were back then.

Speaker 4 (08:21):
But man, you gotta love it.

Speaker 3 (08:22):
You got your players have to feel that love that
you have for the game.

Speaker 4 (08:26):
Still.

Speaker 3 (08:26):
Yeah, I know it went from we're expecting to have
you four years in our campus too. Now it could
be one year to two years while you're here. Let's
maximize that. Let's get the best for you, because at
the end of the day, it is all about our kids.

Speaker 4 (08:40):
You know.

Speaker 3 (08:41):
The University of Kentucky comes first in aspects, in certain aspects,
but even more than that, the University of Kentucky can't
be UK unless you have those star studied athletes coming
and leaving their homes and believing in Kentucky football. And
that's what it's about. Coach Steukes has it on the
right track. I'm very proud of him. Still love coach

(09:03):
steuce Man and looking forward to seeing what they do
this year on the field.

Speaker 1 (09:06):
Wesley, thank you so much. We'll keep plugging your tournament,
but best to luck to you. Thanks for joining us
this morning. Always a pleasure chatting with you.

Speaker 3 (09:14):
All right, man, I see you guys this year as
we'll get ready to win the FSC championship.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
Sound big Blue. Have a good day, are you?

Speaker 1 (09:23):
Taking of the conversation I had with Wesley Woodyard earlier
this summer back in July, and Wesley had always said
that one of his goals was to someday be the
head coach at the University of Kentucky.

Speaker 6 (09:35):
I know he's coaching now.

Speaker 1 (09:36):
I'd love to see that someday, whenever Mark Stoops and
whoever else is done with it.

Speaker 6 (09:40):
Up next on the.

Speaker 1 (09:41):
Best of the Big Boom Sider Jeff picorrel here on
six thirty WLAP It's Dick Gabriel.

Speaker 6 (09:46):
Welcome back to the best of the Big Blue Insider.

Speaker 1 (09:49):
Joining us now. He and I spent a little bit
of time together the last couple of days, driving down
to Atlanta and then covering SEC media days. Jeff Piicoor
from the UK Sports Network in WTV You going in,
Jeff too, and we You and I talked so much
football on the way down and about the immediate future.

Speaker 6 (10:07):
But going in, I really.

Speaker 1 (10:08):
Wondered about Mark Stoops, his message, the tone of his comments,
the tone of the questions going in him. You and
I weren't in the writer's room, of course, but we
had a chance to do you know, a group group
with him in a breakout.

Speaker 6 (10:24):
Room, and then we were there in the electronics room.

Speaker 1 (10:27):
But he didn't sound like a guy on the hot seat,
you know what I mean. And he may have gotten
some of those questions in the writer's room, but it
wasn't exactly what I expected.

Speaker 6 (10:38):
What about you?

Speaker 7 (10:40):
No, it didn't sound like a guy who was frustrated
or you know, at the end of his line or
whatever you want to call a dead man walking and
anything like that. Now he was I thought he was.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
Sincere.

Speaker 7 (10:53):
It sounded like he was you know, he knows he
has to win I think, you know obviously, but he says, hey,
you know, I've done something that nobody else has ever done.
I've had one losing season since the run started. Yeah,
you know, and that's I think that's what people have
to remember. Last year was abysmal. It was, but you.

Speaker 8 (11:13):
Asked the question.

Speaker 7 (11:15):
For two weeks in a row, they were played with
the best teams in America. They beat Ole Miss and
should have beat Georgia, you know, lost by a point,
and you know things fell off after that. But you know,
he says, that's the type of team we could be.
He's got He went out of the portal and rebuilt
this team to what he likes, a big, strong, physical

(11:36):
football team.

Speaker 9 (11:37):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (11:37):
And I really was interested too about his answer about
the defense because for so long, when when you and
me and Tom and anybody who talked about Kentucky football
at this time of the year, during the talking season,
we knew the defensive front, which which had some guys
come and go, but it just seemed like they lose somebody,
plug somebody back in the linebackers were sold. They might

(12:00):
have lost some good guys, but you know, de Eric
Jackson steps in has a great time there weren't any questions.

Speaker 6 (12:07):
About the front four or even the front seven.

Speaker 1 (12:09):
Now it's the other way around with the d Backs
being experienced solid deep question marks up front. But his
answer about that was as much about depth now. And
he made me think about they've got a lot of
bodies now, don't they.

Speaker 7 (12:25):
Yeah. Yeah, And you got to remember a guy that
I thought was going to be a really, really good player.
Unfortunately he's had some injuries, Josiah Hayes. You know, he's
a guy people forget it. He's back, he's over three hundred.
Everybody that was there, Alex Safari, Jeorge love It, coach

(12:45):
all talked about. Also the transfers they had, you know,
the kid from well, they're just Gusta. He did what
thirty seven reps at two twenty five.

Speaker 6 (12:57):
Unbelieve a kid from Washington State.

Speaker 7 (13:00):
Yeah, Washington State. Just a big monster inside. He reminds
me a little bit of a kid that the Jets
drafted in the first round about ten years ago. Remember
was it Robinson?

Speaker 6 (13:12):
I think was the same.

Speaker 7 (13:13):
Yeah, yeah, but you know he was a first round
draft pick of the New York Jets. And this guy's
a bigger version of that. He's a whole. You know,
he's just a stopper up front that you can't move.
And they got some depth. They went out in Wyoming, USC.
They've got some quality guys to come in to plug holes,
and they got a little bigger and a little faster,

(13:35):
a little stronger, and Alex Safari talked about, hey, I'm
up to two hundred and thirty pounds. That's a good size.
And linebackers have changed now because of the way, you know,
there's no more Jim Kovacchis you know any more those
guys that simply played in the middle and played from
tackle to tackle. Now you have to play sideline. The sideline. Yeah,
he's a little Yeah, they're a little smaller at linebacker,

(13:58):
but two thirty still brings the wallat you know, and
they can cover guys. And that's the key.

Speaker 10 (14:03):
I want to come back to.

Speaker 1 (14:04):
David Gusta and the reason is, and it's not like
you know, Jeff and I are anybody's really seen him
do a lot in person that but you mentioned a
weightlifting and as we were coming home you.

Speaker 6 (14:16):
Talk, what did you say you were able to do
four reps that weight.

Speaker 1 (14:20):
And he's thirty seven, he's six three three seventeen is
from San Bernardino, California. Side note, fun fact, Sand Bernardino's
where they filmed, mashed the TV show because that part
I drove through to that part of the world looks
apparently a lot like South Korea anyway, release they could
make it look that way on TV. But I bring

(14:42):
that up because not just the weightlifting. All three of
the players who mentioned guys people will say, oh, who
should we know about Joshkatis a tight end.

Speaker 6 (14:52):
That's a guy on defense.

Speaker 1 (14:53):
He mentioned it, and of course the other guys on defense.
All three of them mentioned and to me, Jeff that
that minds me. And of course I didn't live that life.
You did of the impression that a new person can make,
or a teammate current teammate can make in the weight room.
You guys live in the weight room, you practice, you play,
but most of your life, it seemed, as a player,

(15:15):
more of your life was in the weight room. Explained
to everybody about the camaraderie, the esprit de corps. You
see the clips now on social media. We didn't see
him back when you were playing, but guys surrounding I
saw a clip the other day. I don't know what
it's called. But it's when you put the bar on
your shoulder and you squat. I guess it is called squat.
You know, players surrounded by screaming teammates and they celebrate

(15:40):
after like three or four reps. What's up with that?
There's a modern question for you.

Speaker 7 (15:46):
Yeah, well what the coach Kursey started this and coach
Flavor did it as well. But they broke you down
into teams. And it wasn't just like receivers and dbs
and linebackers. It was they were different groups. Group rod,
Group three, Group four, and that was the times that
you went into the weight room. Group one was maybe
the morning time. Group two was a lunchtime. Yeah, and

(16:08):
it was done around your schedule stuff. So you got
to be really tight with those guys because Pat Etcherberry
was a fiend in the in the weight rooms as
the weight coach, and so these teams that you had,
and it was a real bonding experience because you're with
those guys all the time. And then once you break

(16:30):
down into your regular groups when practice starts to your
receivers and stuff, that that's a different team. But you
hold a real bond to those guys because those are
the guys that you're getting bigger, stronger, and faster with
and for. And it was always fun because then at
the end when you do your testing at the end
of summer, right before we start practice, you have to
do a test, and those are the guys that you

(16:51):
test with, and those are the guys that are helping
you on I mean, we had to do a run
with Kersey, and I remember guys running out to help
guys of the line to beat, you know, the time
you had to do a certain run and it had
to be in a certain time. The guys would run
out and you'd see you know, Schroeder and McClellan out
there basically carrying a guy across the line in time.

(17:13):
So that that was cool, and that was a you know,
it's a real camaraderie you see that like the Marines
and things like that. It's just a bonding thing. And
the weight room is really where you bond.

Speaker 6 (17:23):
So it was like basic training and then.

Speaker 7 (17:25):
Sure, yeah, basically yeah, yeah, they had no car. Kalanowski
took all your car keys. They locked him down at
the track and it was just three at a practices
and we were the only people on campus for three weeks.
We had three weeks to two days and we actually
had a third practice at night that was a kicking
and special teams practice, but everybody had to go, so

(17:46):
he had three practices. Yeah.

Speaker 1 (17:47):
People need to understand too that Etcheberry was I don't
know about ahead of his time, but he was hired
away by the IMG Academy, you know when they created
that that facility down there they wanted to create as
leads or home.

Speaker 7 (18:01):
He was, yeah, and he was an Olympic medalork.

Speaker 6 (18:04):
Yes, and what the shot put it was, yeah, yeah,
one of the one of the field events.

Speaker 1 (18:10):
But yeah, when they when they opened the IMG A camp,
they wanted a guy who knew what he knew and
they hired him away. And then Jerry Clayburn, you know,
for whatever you think of him, like him or not,
he was a cutting edge guy at Maryland when it
came to the weight room. And Randy White, one of
the greatest d linemen of all Tahim, credited Jerry Clayburn

(18:31):
for taking him from the you know, the ninety eight
pound weekling the Classic into a monster in the weight room.
So uh yeah, that's that's vital. And when people start
talking about and everybody talks about the kid from Washington State.

Speaker 6 (18:45):
That means you're going to want to pay attention.

Speaker 1 (18:47):
We're talking to Jeff mcorrel of the UK Sports Network
in WDTVQ about SEC Media Days. 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. We're talking
with Jeff Percaro from WTVQ. You may have seen some
of his reports from Atlanta. The SEC Media Days just concluded.

(19:09):
UK was one of the last teams to go through
and it was It was interesting hearing the players.

Speaker 6 (19:16):
Jeff talk about the honor this has become a thing.
Back in the day.

Speaker 1 (19:21):
I can remember players who kind of went, I got
to go to this now because I think as much
as anything, it's about brand building as well as being
seen in your finest threads.

Speaker 6 (19:32):
But they were all so appreciative, weren't they.

Speaker 7 (19:35):
Well, the really cool thing listening to players were it
was something that they were hoping to get, something they
hoped to receive, and it was such an honor to them.
All three of them spoke about, you know, it was
so special to them to be chosen by coach to
come and represent their team. And I thought it was cool.
All of them went over to Mac and Clay and

(19:55):
they all got new suits and shoes and everything, and
they and all of us said, you know, shout the
play and that kind of stuff. And it's really cool
because this is something I don't know, Dick, I guess
this is a phenomena. What do they call him a
fifth or is that what they call it or whatever
they're Yeah, and these guys all and it's everything now.
And you know, guys used to go to games and

(20:16):
sweatpants and stuff, and now you see and I don't
know if it was the kid from Auburn, Cam Newton
that started this or not, but you know he would
dress to the Nines for every game, and especially when
he got to the NFL, and then everybody started doing it.
Now they have cameras waiting in the parking lot when
the guys get out of the car or off the bus.

(20:37):
And this is in football, it's in basketball. You see
it now with the w NBA and the NBA. It's crazy.
But these guys are out wearing thousands, you know, thousand
dollars suits and it's that's actually pretty cool now.

Speaker 6 (20:49):
Yeah, yeah, they all look great.

Speaker 1 (20:51):
I thought Alex Zafari killed it though, because he went
solid black suit and shirt, pocket square and tie were
kind of an electric blue teal look and just just sensational,
wasn't it.

Speaker 7 (21:07):
Yeah, I think it was really cool. Those guys have
a blast dudent. I didn't even coach kind of shoes,
you know.

Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, so it reminded me I was privileged to host
the SPS the kats BEI, but wouldn't that be something
a couple of times and uh and I was told
that by the time I did it, it had really
become a thing. And you know, they they all kind
of chuckled about well, you know, the girls worry about
what they're wearing.

Speaker 6 (21:34):
They stress about it for months.

Speaker 1 (21:36):
To the cats Beies, I found out the guys did
as much as the winner.

Speaker 6 (21:41):
You know, they all were what am I wearing?

Speaker 1 (21:42):
Because they they finally said to me, it's like prom
It's like PROMP for the athletics department, so to a
lesser degree it is. Uh So anyway back to what
they were talking about though, and uh, you know, there
were questions of course about quarterback to Mark.

Speaker 6 (21:57):
Stoops and other things.

Speaker 1 (21:58):
Nothing really new came out, But I think it was
more about, you know, the tone and what Kentucky fans,
what SEC fans can expect to hear and see from
the Wildcats this year. And that's basically Stoope pointed out.
Almost like a makeover, wasn't it.

Speaker 11 (22:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (22:14):
I think that there's less He's trying to put less
emphasis on the quarterback by building up what he used
to have when John Schlarman was here, and that's this
big blue wall. They went out and got six players
to fill those holes in the transfer portal. I think,
to me, the biggest gits Joshua Broad. I mean, here's

(22:36):
a guy that was the second team All SEC offensive
lineman last year at Arkansas. That's the team that really
runs the football well. Sam does a great job there.
He's a lot like coach stoops is. He's a run first,
defense kind of guy. And Braun is just one of
those tough you know, you call him old school type
of players. They just like to get down and dirty

(22:58):
and he's a monster of a guy. He's gonna he's
gonna be your guard. You know, He's gonna be the
right guard or left guard. I'm not sure which side
he's gonna play yet, but uh, and then you get
you know, Wolf Schlager is another guy that was an
All Conference player. And then of course Pete whose wingspan
is about the same as Sambuie. So I mean the
guy could I'm here, he can over a volleyball, Mett

(23:23):
and the open the refrigerator door, you know, I mean
he's gonna be yes, but they just got to have
size up front. Then he went out and got two
really good running backs. He got the kid down All
from Nebraska and then Etherton from New Mexico State, and
they were and another guy that all all three of
the guys talked about as well as well as coach

(23:44):
was the late gain of Seth. This kid is a
six foot toty nine pound running back. So I think
Derrick Henry, Uh, you know, that's the sizest guys. He's
just a monster and a beast in the weight room.
So they're very excited about him back there. So I
think you're gonna see this team that's going to be
a run first team and says you've got a quarterback

(24:06):
that's got a really good arm that doesn't have to
force things and I think that's going to be the key.
Take what the defense gives you at the quarterback spot
with Calzata or Cutter Cutter, Saw has a chance. But
I think that the reason they brought in Zach was
was he's got thirty two starts, including ten in the SEC.
So he's a guy with experienced and he beat Alabama
at Texas A and M in a shootout. It was

(24:28):
it wasn't a seventeen to ten game, you know, it
was a shootout that that he won. So they see
that that the potential's there. He took two years an
increnet word and polished himself and the ball gets out
of his hands really quick again. To me, the biggest
thing he has to do is not try to force thing.
He doesn't have to be Brett farb Well. He thinks
he can throw it to an eye of a needle
at fifty yards with two defenders on the guy. That's

(24:50):
not what you're looking for. You looking for a guy
that can manage the game, gets you down the field,
and that's what he can do.

Speaker 1 (24:56):
If you minute sleept with jeffercorl of the UK Network
in WTVQ, you mentioned Seth McGowan he was late through
the portal, but interestingly, like you said, everybody brought him up.

Speaker 6 (25:07):
Uh, you know.

Speaker 1 (25:08):
And and he goes into a running backs room that
already was it's got some talent, but nobody really has
distinguished and said, but then again, no one's really had.

Speaker 6 (25:16):
The opportunity to distinguish himself.

Speaker 1 (25:19):
But here's a kid who started off like Pete at
New Mexico State, then when Juco then went Oklahoma. He
is from Mesquite, Texas, which is a suburb of Dallas,
basically best known for the Mesquite Rodeo, but also known
I'm serious there it's a big deal down there, but
also for really great high school football. So that guy,
to me is intriguing. And I think that the you know,

(25:42):
we we've talked a lot about the old line, about
the wide receiver room. I think that running backs room
now has become really interesting.

Speaker 7 (25:49):
Yeah I really haven't, I said Ethortson. That's a baseball
player that shows you that what happens when you do
twenty six years of that. But yeah, McGowan is is
I think that what you look at this room now,
you've got two really big, powerful backs that are you know,
goal line type, you know, that could just pound it
between the tackles. And then you've got a couple of

(26:11):
guys that on any time they touched the football could
break a big one. We saw it against Tennessee last year. Right, Yeah,
welcome these will Cox and and Pattison. They've got that
ability to really turn it on. So they've got some
choices back there. And look, this has been a team
that's been thin at different positions, and they're not going

(26:32):
to get caught in in the backfield this year. You've
got Mizelle coming back. He's now two years removed from
his knee surgery. He's one hundred percent now, so it's
going to be interesting to see him. Another bruising style
of backs. So they really have five guys back there,
and it's going to be a fun competition. You know,
there's only one ball who carries the load. It's going
to be fun to see.

Speaker 1 (26:53):
Before I let you go, you mentioned your experienced in
Major League Baseball with the Reds Network. What did you
think of the All Star Game and how it concluded.

Speaker 7 (27:04):
Fantastic thought it was outstanding. You know, I had a
nice talk with the owner of the Legends before the
season started, and he talked about wanting to do something
just like we saw in the All Star Game, because
he's an independent team and so they don't have to
abide by Major League Baseball rules of those type of things.
All he has to do if they play a team
that's affiliated, had they just tell them before the game, hey, look,

(27:27):
this is what we want to do, and if they agree,
then you can do that, because you know, this pitching
is a premium and especially in minor league baseball. You
used to do minor league games. You get through maybe
that first pitcher that goes four or five innings and
then it's you know, it's one right after another, you know,
and just kick the ball. You're just praying, get the

(27:48):
ball over a plate, please. But I thought it was
fantastic and look at the fans went crazy, the teams
went crazy when Schwarber hit those three home runs. It
was you all the elation of the Nation League team
in the American League teams. You gotta be kidding me,
you know.

Speaker 1 (28:05):
I thought one of the greatest endorsements among the players
and their excitement was the starting pitcher was at school
ball from Detroit and a lot of these guys people
don't know, and it's not a measure of disrespect. But
if their time and the game is over and they
have a plane to catch or something to do, they'll leave.
He was in street closed and came out of the

(28:27):
clubhouse to watch. And then they did away with that
stupid rule they had where the All Star Game decided
World Series home field advantage. So I thought that was
a perfect way to end it. It kept people and
you know what, I would imagine, Jeff, that an overwhelming
majority of the viewers didn't know that rule was in place,

(28:48):
and the broadcasters had to remind themselves, Oh yeah, that's right.

Speaker 6 (28:52):
If it's a tie, go ahead.

Speaker 7 (28:54):
We've talked about this on our little chain with with
coach and Darren Hendrick to coach Mattick and Doug Flynn
about you know, as a pitcher and you're let's say
you're throwing a no hitter and it's zero zero in
the ninth inning and you got to start the tenth
any with a guy on second base. That's not fair
to a Nolan Ryan or you know, anybody. And that's

(29:18):
to me, you're changing the game doing that. Here's a
way that you know what it's Look, they do it
in hockey. They do it in soccer. It's a great
way to do and now they've basically done it in
football when you get you know, when you go to overtime,
you get you used to get the ball, what it
was it the twenty five yard line or whatever. So
you're alleviating three quarters of the field already, and then.

Speaker 6 (29:39):
You go to the two point conversion rule after a couple.

Speaker 7 (29:42):
Of nits from now you go to two. Yeah, then
you go to two point conversions. So why not do it?
Because again, pitching is it such a premium even at
the major league level that I think it's just a
fantastic way to do it well.

Speaker 1 (29:52):
The managers also, now the game is no longer played
the way it used to be, where you might see
somebody stay in the game for nine innings.

Speaker 6 (30:00):
Managers rotate every to get them all in.

Speaker 1 (30:03):
And I don't mind that so much, but yeah, that's
why you never want to see another tie. And John
Smoltz doing the broadcast, you're ready, very quiet, hey, very
very quietly said I was part of a tie. It
wasn't good, you know, So, yeah, I agree with you.

Speaker 6 (30:17):
Here is Jeff Piicorrall. Watch for him on Channel thirty six.

Speaker 1 (30:20):
Wtvqon of course listen to him on the UK radio network.
It's coming up fast. Well, I'll be learning this new
team together, but it's going to be fun.

Speaker 7 (30:28):
Thank you, sir, Hi buddy, have a good one.

Speaker 1 (30:31):
Up next, an excerpt of this morning's Leash Report when Tom,
Darren Hedrick and he.

Speaker 6 (30:36):
In a prerecorded show went through some great radio.

Speaker 1 (30:39):
Clips and then we have the clips that did not
make it on the air on the Leach Report, will
air tonight on The Big Blue and Sider and what
we decided.

Speaker 6 (30:47):
To call the Leach Report Overtime. That's ahead.

Speaker 1 (30:50):
You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
More to come here on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back
to the best of the Big Blue Insider.

Speaker 6 (30:58):
Dickcabrielle with you.

Speaker 1 (31:00):
Weeks ago, Tom Leach invited Darren Hedrick and me to
be a part of a special program that he was
putting together introducing great radio clips, and he invited us
to bring some of our own, which we did.

Speaker 6 (31:10):
We had a ball. Tom played them on his show.

Speaker 1 (31:13):
I pulled an excerpt from his show and ran it
on The Big Blue Insider and the calls that we
couldn't get on the Leach Report, Tom and Darren and
I put them together for The Big Blue Insider. We
had a great time putting that show together. Thought we
would share it with you again here on the Best
of The Big Blue Insider, and we'll pick it up
with a portion of the Leach Report.

Speaker 2 (31:31):
First one is Kayo Lefford, He and Ralph Hacker on
the call in Saint Louis in nineteen seventy eight when
Kentucky won its first national championship in twenty years, beating
Duke ninety four to eighty eight.

Speaker 8 (31:43):
Tucky leading, Kim cucking back to Athan Packer Rebby, he
brought me down to James Lee lead.

Speaker 5 (31:48):
Driving when it goes un or done, he already eight
and Aaron's the last Lady twenty years can.

Speaker 12 (32:02):
When they.

Speaker 11 (32:04):
Tread over the new footouts and Gaslee.

Speaker 2 (32:08):
They were starting the music ahead to the break already
at that point. And then the next clip is from
nineteen fifty eight. This was Claude Sullivan on the call.
The game was at Freedom Hall, Kentucky beat Seattle to
win its fourth national championship.

Speaker 13 (32:23):
For right off up, Kentucky has.

Speaker 14 (32:25):
A twelve point lad alson Baylor takes my last shot
of the.

Speaker 15 (32:28):
Ball game, No good and the Tay Boy the nice
champions Kentucky wild Cats.

Speaker 2 (32:35):
So that was Claude Sullivan's version of a national championship call. So, Gabe,
you grew up here in Kentucky, so you're familiar with
Obviously both of those guys. We grew up listening to
you and I listening to Kaywood, Darren Group listening to
John Warred down in Tennessee. But just two different guys
Kentucky announcers calling national championships.

Speaker 1 (32:57):
And you know when you listened back back like that,
there is a similarity in tone of those two announcers.

Speaker 2 (33:05):
It's really interesting. But I always love that call by
uh by.

Speaker 1 (33:08):
Claude because his emotions get away from him just for
a split second. Uh, same with ka Wood, but you know,
Claude just kind of lost his place for just a moment.
But I'm glad you mentioned elgend Baylor because that might
have been the best player in the game. Uh, you know,
in that game in particular. But I was in Saint Louis.
In fact, I was calling the game for the campus radio.
Say nobody listened, but we need we should, we should

(33:29):
have your call. Yeah, you don't want to hear that,
but no, it was. That was fun and you know
the great thing.

Speaker 2 (33:36):
And Tom knows this.

Speaker 1 (33:37):
And then fans who are familiar remember Joe b emptied
the bench in the last minute and a half or so,
and then Duke started to catch up, and here came
the starters again. And that's why James Lee and Kyle
and Roby were in the game for that, James Lee
dunk and Darren Wohend. You you know you're in a
situation like that when you know it's championships on the line.

(34:02):
You know that whatever you say, you know you could
be in that situation for Kentucky with its basketball or
Kentucky baseball. You know what you're going to say is
going to live on. Whenever I've talked to student groups,
I said, we'd all like to come up with do
we do? You believe in miracles?

Speaker 2 (34:16):
But the first thing is just get the meat and potatoes,
make sure you get the score right and things like that. Yeah,
that was one of the first things taught to me
by my mentors was just get the play and then
take a breath and then fill in with whatever else
you want. And you know, there have been times this
year I've had the opportunity to call some championships, obviously
going to the College World Series with Kentucky Baseball as tops.

(34:39):
And I can tell this story because I've told it
to other people. That's probably the only time in my
career where I had a small note card with a
couple of bullet points written down, just because of the
magnitude of that moment. And it was not a script,
but just so you wanted to make sure you got right,
because it was like, that's their first one. Don't screw
that up, man, great, appreciate that. And yeah, it has

(35:02):
a long afterlife, Yeah it does. It does run a
good bad or whatever.

Speaker 4 (35:07):
That's right.

Speaker 10 (35:07):
That's right.

Speaker 1 (35:08):
I've run those trees myself well.

Speaker 16 (35:11):
And just real quick, I want to say, listening to
Kaywood and then Claude back to back, it's amazing to
hear Kaywood sort of has that more modern voice that
you hear on radio now, where Claude still has that
old fashioned, you know news where the news real type
of cadence and voice. And it's really interesting to hear
that back to back. Let's hear another one from Kawood.

(35:31):
This is nineteen seventy five, the Mid East regional final game.
I think you were there in dat there this one.
Kentucky upsets Indiana ninety two to.

Speaker 3 (35:39):
Ninety Good father Kentucky up Indiana.

Speaker 17 (35:42):
Nighty, good at night.

Speaker 5 (35:43):
Bobby Knights going the three coats that he is.

Speaker 3 (35:45):
If it is it's the take a hand at Joe Hall.

Speaker 2 (35:51):
And Kit and Ralph were great partners, and Kay would
calls the play and Ralph gets a jab a jab
A note there that you know. Kentucky fans loved the
story's legendary about what Joe B. Hall his players have
talked about this. He wrote some things on a board
in their locker room before the game. And remember this
was a game that they were playing an Indiana team

(36:12):
that had beaten them by twenty four in Bloomington in December.
Kentucky puts itself back in a position to be playing
for a spot in the Final four against an undefeated
Indiana team that Bobby Knight, to his dying day would
say was even better than the one that did go
undefeated win the title the next year. And I think

(36:34):
almost the same team attact but one different guy. In
seventy five, Kentucky upsets them, and this was what joeby Hall.
Here is is a clip from an interview later on
after he had retired, where he tells the story of
what had happened in the Kentucky locker room prior.

Speaker 9 (36:50):
To the games amazing before we came out. We went
to the locker room after we had warmed up, and
there was a chalkboard there, and all the players sat
down from that chalkboard, and I didn't say anything for
about a minute two minutes, and then I turned around.

(37:12):
I wrote on the chalkboard. I can't remember exactly, but
it was something like a ladder bus state police colisseum.
I wrote those four things on the blackboard, and the
players looked at it, and so I turned around to them.
I said, fellas, when we cut the net down today,

(37:35):
I want to use a ladder, and I want taping scissors.

Speaker 4 (37:39):
I don't want a knife.

Speaker 9 (37:40):
Don't want anybody getting hurt climbing up on the backboard.
We'll cut the nets down with a knife with scissors
from the ladder. And I said, then we'll all go
back on the bus together, because this isn't our last
game this season.

Speaker 4 (37:58):
You won't go with your.

Speaker 9 (37:59):
Parents, your friends. We'll all ride on the bus together.
And I said, when we crossed the Oli River, the
state police will pick us up and give us an
escort back to Memorial Coliseum, where we'll have the greatest
celebration this school's ever seen. And so help me, we

(38:22):
played the game with that kind of confidence. It was
pull Eddie at that game.

Speaker 1 (38:27):
I actually was in the locker room afterwards and saw
the chalkboard with all that stuff written on it, but
had no idea what it was at the time, but
it was great hearing that story from Joe.

Speaker 6 (38:36):
B after the fact.

Speaker 1 (38:38):
Coming up next, more calls from the Tom Leach Show
earlier today, the Leech Report, plus radio calls that we
didn't have time for when we pre recorded Tom's show, Tom,
Darren Hedrick and yours. Truly, we are going to run
them in our number two, calling it the Leach Report
overtime here on the Big Moon Sider.

Speaker 6 (38:56):
Stay with us here on six point thirty.

Speaker 18 (38:58):
Wlpe suat such stact, tact.

Speaker 19 (39:39):
Anything, don't do anything.

Speaker 11 (39:51):
On su.

Speaker 6 (40:48):
Hey, it's stick Gabriel.

Speaker 1 (40:49):
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. Earlier today, Tom Leach on
the Leech for Report presented a great pre recorded show,
yours truly, Darren Hedrick alongside, and we had a lot
of fun with the old radio clips. And I'm playing
back part of the Leech Report, but we couldn't get

(41:11):
to all of them. We will later on here on
Leech Report overtime on the Big Blue Insider. Here's a
little more from today's Leech Report.

Speaker 2 (41:20):
One of the Kentucky football clip. This is one Darren provided.
This is a Claude Sullivan nineteen fifty three game. Was
it against Tennessee? Against Tennessee at Stolefield? And I believe
it might have been Bear Bryant's last game oho Kentucky.
All right, let's hear that.

Speaker 20 (41:33):
Kentucky up to the Tennessee twenty four third down to nine.
Bob Hardey mows and nating beg yannag. He slips ball's
hands to pallone plone out of.

Speaker 6 (41:40):
The class and twenty I'm putting the ten to five.

Speaker 17 (41:43):
Who's horn.

Speaker 11 (41:45):
Bob plown?

Speaker 4 (41:47):
Bob Hardy almost bound down.

Speaker 20 (41:50):
It's not the kicking body. He's kick tomp for three.
I beg one right here, and I'm very important Tennessee's.

Speaker 4 (41:54):
Kicked on three of theirs. Here's the snap party kicks Ben.

Speaker 2 (42:00):
One.

Speaker 17 (42:02):
Here's Cloud right now.

Speaker 2 (42:05):
So that was a Claude Sullivan clip and gave you
said you'd not heard him do football, not not until today.
That was great.

Speaker 1 (42:14):
Later in the Leach Report, Tom pulled up some of
the great calls from around the SEC, and of course
you've got to include Larry Munson, the legendary Georgia announcer.

Speaker 6 (42:23):
Here's a couple of them. This is from the Leech
Report earlier today.

Speaker 2 (42:27):
All right, let's play some classic college calls, guys. One
of the legendary announcers of the South, Larry Munson of
the Georgia Bulldogs. He also called Vandy games for a time,
but he became legendary calling the Dogs. The first one
we have for you is to night that. Both of
these are from the nineteen eighty season when Georgia won
the national championship. This is herschel Walker was a freshman

(42:49):
but didn't start in his first game, but he came
in late. They were trailing Tennessee, and this is herschel
Walker's first touchdown as a Georgia Bulldog.

Speaker 4 (43:00):
Been a night for old lady.

Speaker 3 (43:02):
Look Georgia knocking on the door there on.

Speaker 21 (43:03):
The Tennessee sixteen.

Speaker 3 (43:05):
Tennessee has dominated this one. They gave us a break,
we couldn't use it.

Speaker 21 (43:09):
Then we gave him a couple fifteen to two Tennessee
leading crowd roaring against Georgia, trying to make him drop
it so they can't hear.

Speaker 2 (43:17):
We hand off to Herschel.

Speaker 17 (43:18):
There's a whole five ten crowd.

Speaker 5 (43:21):
He's running over people.

Speaker 11 (43:23):
Oh you hershel Walker, My gone on, mighty, you ran
right through two men. Herschel ran right over too man.

Speaker 21 (43:32):
They had him bent away inside the nine. Herschel Walker
went sixteen yards. He drove right over Orange Church.

Speaker 3 (43:39):
Just driving and running with those big fis my god.

Speaker 13 (43:42):
A freshman.

Speaker 1 (43:45):
Much in the If Munson were going for a job
and gave some suit that tape so I don't want
to be your Playbill blay Man, they would have thrown
him out the door, and they would have missed out
on that kind of greatness. He would have been perfect
in the National Hockey League. Oh you imagine him a
hockey Gosh, it was perfect where he was. Munson was
a we They go, oh yeah, book. I grew up

(44:09):
listening to Kay would and Kay would never did that
and so I've never done that.

Speaker 2 (44:14):
Uh John, what was John wore that his number one
thing was be professional. That's all said. But for Munson,
God bless him, it worked. It was Oh yes, it
was part of his deal. And here's the probably the
most famous. Later that year, George is playing against Florida
and Georgia's would eventually go on to be an undefeated champion,

(44:35):
but looked like it was gonna lose and maybe lose
out on a shot at the national championship. They were
trailing down it that they used to call the world's
biggest cock outdoor cocktail party in Jacksonville, the Georgia Florida game,
and George is backed up in a hole. It looks
like they're beat times, running short, and here's Munson picking
up the call.

Speaker 21 (44:52):
Back third down on eight in trouble, got a block
behind him, Gonna throw on a run complete to the
twenty five thirty five parties. Lindy's got forty five fifty,
forty five forties front Lindsey twenty five, twenty fifty Prince
fire Crasy shock d you con Hens.

Speaker 13 (45:09):
You gone well, I can't believe it.

Speaker 21 (45:18):
Ninety two yards and Lendy really got in a foot race.

Speaker 3 (45:21):
I broke my chair.

Speaker 11 (45:22):
I came right to a chair, a.

Speaker 21 (45:25):
Metal steel chair with about a five inch cursion.

Speaker 11 (45:27):
I broke it.

Speaker 4 (45:29):
The books came apart.

Speaker 21 (45:31):
A stadium, well, a stadium pill down. Now they do
have to renovate this thing. You'll have to rebuild it now, Alight,
this is incredible.

Speaker 11 (45:40):
In all this game has always been called the.

Speaker 21 (45:42):
World's greatest cocktail party. Do you know what is gonna
happen here tonight? And I put Saint Simon's and Chickle.

Speaker 11 (45:49):
Island and all those places where all.

Speaker 21 (45:51):
Those dog people have got these condominiums.

Speaker 4 (45:54):
For four days?

Speaker 21 (45:55):
Man, is there gonna be some property destroyed tonight?

Speaker 2 (46:02):
Dog Tom, we were gone.

Speaker 10 (46:04):
I gave up.

Speaker 13 (46:04):
You did.

Speaker 2 (46:08):
Miracle, we were gone.

Speaker 7 (46:10):
I gave that.

Speaker 3 (46:12):
I can never decide what's my favorite part of that
dog people?

Speaker 4 (46:16):
Yea, for those condominiums.

Speaker 2 (46:18):
Yeah, but while he's calling but Ron, Yeah, and then
no touching.

Speaker 4 (46:21):
There's Lundys.

Speaker 2 (46:22):
God, Londy's got me. Oh my god.

Speaker 1 (46:24):
Every time I played it on my show, I have
to do it right before a commercial.

Speaker 2 (46:27):
Because I can't stop last.

Speaker 4 (46:28):
It is so great.

Speaker 2 (46:30):
It's just the SEC Network did a uh one of
those SEC story things on the legendary announcers of the SEC. Okay,
but that was great, right, But Munson was probably featured
in there.

Speaker 4 (46:43):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (46:44):
Here's another one. This is the Auburn announcer men's basketball
nineteen eighty eight. Jim Fife from Paintful Kentucky was the
voice of Auburn at that time, and the Kentucky was
number one. It was a weeknight game, maybe early in
the SEC season. I thinking Auburn comes in and upsets
number one Kentucky. A shot from the corner by John Taylor.

(47:06):
Here is how the Auburn Network called that.

Speaker 22 (47:09):
Taylor, I love the green Warner time second to go three,
one of my Taylors sty three. But you do Auburn great,
Kevin in the court, Cord no.

Speaker 11 (47:20):
Good, Taylor, Chucky look.

Speaker 14 (47:23):
Alert, tell you over and over ALBN Olvern, Olver, Loddon Bull,
I'm rock. Kentucky wore Robina three.

Speaker 11 (47:37):
So woh.

Speaker 2 (47:40):
I'm just trying to imagine if Keith Madison had done
that in that Regional super Regional final. Working with you,
I did just let him go again. I was at
that game. You might have been at that game and
I saw him go.

Speaker 1 (47:52):
I was They could not shape remember the Auburn just
wouldn't go away? Yes, and Kentucky just played uninspired last
fifty three fifty two. Yes, yeah, it was a boring
game up well, wasn't boring because it was tense, but
right in front of the bench, he through that through
that shot.

Speaker 2 (48:05):
In one more clip, this is uh the University of
California network. We've all seen the video of uh the
Cal player run at Stanford bands coming on the field
as the game is and then Cows gets the kickoff.
Looks like they're beating. They're doing all these laterals and
the band starts on the field because I think the

(48:26):
game is over and it's not. And here's how it
sounded on the COL network.

Speaker 20 (48:31):
I mean, I'll probably try to scrib it if he
does walk on a blue and the barons have to get.

Speaker 13 (48:35):
Out about.

Speaker 22 (48:38):
Walk here along the sideline.

Speaker 12 (48:39):
On other one till a deep trouble and feel it
tried to hello, Hello, play.

Speaker 14 (49:09):
God's about themizing traumatics, Friday.

Speaker 15 (49:16):
Exciting, probably finish the history of pollet football.

Speaker 11 (49:19):
Cow guy, I'm over that burn. Oh it's kill me
by my boy.

Speaker 12 (49:27):
But I have never never a'damn like it, and that
history I've ever taken.

Speaker 2 (49:34):
Oh my goodness, how many that may have set a
record for adjectives.

Speaker 4 (49:38):
You know.

Speaker 16 (49:38):
The one play that that reminds me of and the
more modern era of radio is Rod Bramblett at Auburn
and the kick six. Yeah, and you know Rod missed
him greatly, But man, I want to call that one.

Speaker 1 (49:51):
Was really first got away that that was the greatest
play the cow game until that Auburn game, I think.
But then when you mix yeah, but when you mix
in the band, it kind of stands along.

Speaker 2 (50:02):
And by the way, that one and some of these
come courtesy of the Miley collection, John Miley down in Evansville,
this hobby of recording games. God bless him, thankfully he
did that. We've got the voice of UK baseball here,
so we're gonna do a little baseball segment. One that
Darren provided us as Marty Brenneman calling Pete Rose's record

(50:24):
breaking hit when he beat Ty Cobbs record hit forty
one to ninety two of Pete's career. And here's how
Marty Brenneman and Joe Nuxall called it on the REDS
Radio network.

Speaker 20 (50:34):
He levels about a couple of times shall kick Senny
fires Rose Wings.

Speaker 14 (50:43):
For one two May Jove Single into Love Center Clain Base.

Speaker 11 (50:53):
Is Pandomonium. I'm here let the stadium.

Speaker 2 (50:56):
Marty and Joe guys worked together for years Lateenary friendship
as well as the broadcast duo, and Joe kind of
stepped on the play by play guy there, but it
kind of worked.

Speaker 4 (51:07):
It did, It really did.

Speaker 16 (51:08):
And you know, Marty always impressed me by staying under
control so well in the big moments and the verbiage,
the words that he would find hoisted on the shoulders
or it's pandemonium at Riverfront and and things like that.
It's just an amazing play by play voice in the majors.

Speaker 1 (51:27):
Coming up more from not the Leach Report, but the
Leach Report Overtime. We didn't have time for all the
clips that we brought in, but we're gonna hear them tonight.
You're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
More to come here on six thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel.
Welcome back to the Best of the Big Blue Insider.
This is the Leach Report Overtime. Earlier today, Tom with

(51:48):
the pre recorded show. We had so much fun. Tom,
Darren Hedrick and me. We were all downtown in the
iHeart studio. Well that's where we are now pre recording
this because we had so many great clips in the
Leach Report not enough time, so we decided they were
too good to leave in the bin, and we're just
going to keep right.

Speaker 2 (52:05):
On going with him.

Speaker 1 (52:06):
So Tom's the guy in front of the computer. He's
got the list, and this is how we did things
on the Leech Report. Now I ran a portion of
that on the Big moone side of earlier. So we're
going to pick up Tom where we left off with
all these great clips that that you and Darren and
I have pulled together.

Speaker 6 (52:22):
So guide us through this.

Speaker 2 (52:23):
We'll start with some baseball. This is one of my
favorites growing up as a Reds fan. In nineteen seventy two,
the Reds were like ten games behind the Dodgers coming
up to the All Star Break. That was the big
rivalry that time, when they had two divisions and a
guy named hal King. I think it was hits a
pinch hit Grand Slam home run in the first game
of a double header right before the All Star Break,

(52:45):
and then the Reds complete the sweep and they come
storming back and ended up winning the division and they're
in the playoffs. Then to go to the World Series
against the Pirates, and it looks like, you know, the
magical run is going to end. They're down one in
the bottom of the ninth Dave Justy's pitching for Pittsburgh
and he was their ace closer, and Johnny Bench is
at the plate. The Reds need one run to send

(53:07):
it to extra innings or two to win, and they would, Well,
I won't give you away, everybody. Well, here's al Michaels,
who was doing the radio at the time. Is the
year before Marty Brownan became the voice of the Reds,
al Michaels was doing the Reds games with Joe Nuxall.
So this was al Michael's Game five of the nineteen
seventy two playoffs and Johnny Bench at the plate, the

(53:29):
right hander.

Speaker 13 (53:29):
Wine and the one two pitch to bench.

Speaker 11 (53:32):
Johnny swings and drills.

Speaker 13 (53:33):
In a mile to foul boy.

Speaker 5 (53:34):
He had all of that one with fowl by Funny
ended up into the red seat the upper deck.

Speaker 11 (53:45):
One and two, Well, Ryan and it pitch to the bench.
Change on the end a deep field.

Speaker 12 (53:56):
Good.

Speaker 11 (54:33):
Jerry, come up, Jerry home run till I feel X one.

Speaker 17 (54:37):
To right the game is tied.

Speaker 2 (54:39):
George Foster would I think it was if an extra
innings or later, and maybe later in that inning where
Bob Moose there's a wild pitch and George Foster comes
in with the winning run. Yeah, series was Hal McGrath play,
how about that? But boy out let a lot of
time pass there, drek with the crowd noise on radio.

Speaker 16 (54:56):
Yeah, And that's the beauty of baseball, as you can
let it breathe after the big moment. And I had
a chance to work with some outstanding play by play
guys in the minor leagues learning the craft, and one
of the things was they always said, punch the call
and then lay out and let it breathe and just
soak in that crowd noise and it just owl's another
outstanding when Marty was always good at it too with

(55:18):
the Reds.

Speaker 2 (55:19):
Yeah, and if weird thinking about listen to that clip
if you're a Reds fan, And this would have been
here in October of seventy two in the playoffs, Johnny
Bench hits one, you know, the tying home run. What
would have been the tying home run into the red
seats and you're thinking, oh, they missed his chance, it
went foul, and then the next pitch he hits it out.

Speaker 1 (55:38):
And how many times, Darren, have you seen a guy
just launch one out foul in the next pitch swinging
miss Yeah, yeah, that.

Speaker 10 (55:44):
Was his shot. Yeah.

Speaker 2 (55:45):
Well, speaking of fair or foul, The next clip is
from seventy five, Game six of the World Series, and
the reds I always must mentioned, did come back and
win the series in the seventh game, but this is
the most famous game from that series. At Fenway Park,
at about midnight, Carlton Fisk hits the game winning home run.
The call and what they did in those days on

(56:07):
the national radio call or no, I think it was
a national radio call.

Speaker 11 (56:11):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (56:11):
The local announcers weren't allowed to do the games, right,
that's uh. Marty would do some innings with the national
guy and this happened to be the Red Sox announcer
gottamed Ned Martin with Kurt Goudi on the Carlton Fist
home run.

Speaker 10 (56:24):
Oh delivery to.

Speaker 11 (56:25):
Fiskk Swain's long drive left field, if it stay farres gone?
Who run the Let talk win O the Sies and
Tide three games a peat, or got me out in
the field if heamates a waiting for him and the
Red Sock. I've cut the World Series in the game
seven for the dramatic seven.

Speaker 1 (56:45):
Grade reds Fans didn't think it was fair because Kurt
Gowdy had been a Red Sox announcer.

Speaker 6 (56:49):
That's right, you know, he was the national guy. Yet
uh to me.

Speaker 1 (56:53):
One of the great follow up stories on that a
sidebar I saw this in Sports Illustrated was and I
caught my attention with a piece of Lionard, a cartoon
drawing of a camera with a rat standing on top
of it staring at the cameraman. And it was the
story of why that famous shot, that ISO shot of
Carlton Fisk, he stayed on Carlton Fisk, the camera operator did.

(57:15):
He was supposed to follow the ball, but he had
his you know, he had Fisk in his in his viewfinder,
and he looked up and literally in the old scoreboard
at Fenway one hundred years old, there was a rat
on top of his camera and it freaked him out.
And so by the time you look back in his viewfinder,
he had lost the ball. Knew he couldn't find the ball,
so he stayed on Fisk, and that's why you see

(57:35):
that shot of Fisk doing the body English thing waving
at fair and yeah, thanks to some rat that will
go unnamed.

Speaker 2 (57:45):
Thought Carlton Fisk was a rat for hitting.

Speaker 1 (57:47):
That's the game too, where Pete Rose came to the plate,
laid in the game and turned to Fisk and said,
this is one great game, isn't it, or something like that.

Speaker 2 (57:57):
Next we're gonna play two back to back.

Speaker 23 (57:58):
There.

Speaker 2 (57:58):
This is the nineteen I'm pretty sure Gabe and I
were doing a postgame football calling show on the network
at that time, and so we had the game on
with no sound. First, we're gonna hear Kirk Gibson, comes
wasn't expected to play, is able to come up and
give him a few swings against the A's. They need

(58:21):
a miracle for the Dodgers to win Game one. Dennis
Eckersley the ace closer on the hill. So Kirk Gibson
provided the miracle. We'll hear Vin Scully's TV call. Then
we'll set up the radio call high fly ball in.

Speaker 11 (58:34):
The right field.

Speaker 13 (58:35):
She is gone.

Speaker 6 (58:44):
In a year that has been.

Speaker 15 (58:46):
So improbable, the impossible has happened.

Speaker 2 (58:52):
So I've edited out some of the long clip of
just crowd noise. That's Scully let it go for a
long time. In radio, usually you don't let it go
that long. This was the Jack Buck call on national
radio of the same play.

Speaker 13 (59:07):
Swings and I fly a ball at the bright tail.
There's it gonna be a home run.

Speaker 21 (59:11):
Unbelieve all home run crickets it and the Dodgers have
won the game five before.

Speaker 11 (59:18):
I don't believe what I cussed on. I don't believe
what I cuss on.

Speaker 2 (59:26):
So dared, you're the baseball voice for the Cats. That's
two different versions. I don't Both were really good, and
they're outstanding. Yeah, I mean they're iconic calls. As soon
as you hear it, you instantly remember hearing that somewhere
at some point along the way. Just two iconic announcers
and two iconic calls. And of course Jack's other famous

(59:47):
call is that we'll see you tomorrow night on a
walk off home run, said the Ausie Smith one.

Speaker 10 (59:52):
I believe so.

Speaker 1 (59:53):
And you know what, tom we were not working together
that night. I remember exactly where I was. It was
so late that I was filling in anchoring the sports
magazine show he did at KYT twenty seven Sports Spectrum
and the other.

Speaker 6 (01:00:06):
Guys are on vacation.

Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
So I'm down there and I'm and the game's still
going on, and our show had already begun, that's how
late it was running. And one of our editors came
running down into the studio with a script in his hand,
and he said, you aren't going to believe what just happened,
and he described what happened. So the first time I
saw that was when I was describing the highlight for

(01:00:28):
the sportscast, and again, I, just like Jack Buck, I
could not believe what I saw. So you've it's funny obviously,
games like that moment you remember where you were. You're
listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider. More
to come here on six thirty wlap A. It's Dick
Gabriel and you were listening to the best of the
Big Blue Insider. Earlier today on the Leach Report. Tom

(01:00:49):
presented a lot of great old radio calls, and we
excerpted part of his show earlier on The Big Blue Insider,
but we had so many leftovers that after we got.

Speaker 6 (01:00:59):
Done t being Tom's show in studio, Tom.

Speaker 1 (01:01:04):
Darren Hedrick and I kept going, and we're calling it
the Leach Report Overtime. Because we had so many other
great radio calls, we decided to extend the Leach Report
into the Big Moon Cider. So here's part two of
the Leach Report Overtime of Tom sitting up clips with
Darren and me.

Speaker 2 (01:01:21):
This next clip is from the ninety two National League
Championship Series. This one's for our buddy Shan and the dude.
Sid Bream scores the winning run as the Braves rally
to beat Barry Bonds and the Pirates.

Speaker 13 (01:01:35):
It's got two one.

Speaker 11 (01:01:37):
Sean rag Let tail to dam.

Speaker 17 (01:01:40):
Here comes rain.

Speaker 11 (01:01:41):
Here's a crowd of the bike.

Speaker 19 (01:01:43):
He say, Crave gen Rave.

Speaker 6 (01:01:48):
When Raves whin.

Speaker 17 (01:01:53):
They may have to hospitalize Sid Graam.

Speaker 11 (01:01:57):
He's down at the bottom of.

Speaker 10 (01:01:58):
A huge pile at the.

Speaker 2 (01:02:01):
I think there was skip carry on the call.

Speaker 10 (01:02:04):
That sounds right.

Speaker 16 (01:02:05):
I always remember of that slide, the Sean McDonough TV
call where his voice breaks and he goes.

Speaker 2 (01:02:15):
And you know, said Bream as as the old saying
goes had to be timed with a Sun dial, but
a good old fashioned slide, brother, Yes, it was all right.
Here's the next clip. This is an NFL clip in
nineteen seventy. I think this was I've got it in
my notes. Tom Dempsey, who was born with only half
of a right foot, and so his shoe is, you know,

(01:02:39):
flat on the end of his foot, like half a shoe,
didn't have any toes exactly. But he became a kicker
in the National Football League for the New Orleans Saints
and the longest history, longest field go in the NFL
history at that point was fifty six yards. They send
him out, I think against the Lions to attempt a
sixty three yarder and a straight on kicker. Straight on kicker. Yeah,
there was going mostly soccer style at that point. He

(01:03:00):
was still straight on and this is how it was
called on the Saints Network. Don't know who the Playboy
play guy was, but there you can tell her even
amazed that he's attempting this field goal.

Speaker 17 (01:03:10):
Bom Depsy, We'll I try to kick the longest yield goals.

Speaker 12 (01:03:14):
And natural league history.

Speaker 22 (01:03:15):
They're sending it on with two seconds left, sharp petty
will hold Timpson will have to kick run sixty two
yards to win the ball game.

Speaker 11 (01:03:25):
Holy they're light.

Speaker 17 (01:03:26):
I've seen them all, but this is.

Speaker 13 (01:03:28):
They're just extending Thomas and.

Speaker 22 (01:03:30):
Saint History Tart Petty will hold two seconds left, here's
a snap the battle down.

Speaker 17 (01:03:36):
Depty kicks the time away.

Speaker 2 (01:03:50):
What's say you get the call up?

Speaker 10 (01:03:51):
It's al Western, all okay?

Speaker 13 (01:03:55):
Down?

Speaker 2 (01:03:55):
It a little bit like Larry Munson. How about that?

Speaker 10 (01:03:57):
It almost yeah, I did a little bit.

Speaker 2 (01:04:00):
Just an amazing moment. The next one, another memorable NFL moment.
Guy named Van Patrick was on the call. I think
he was the Mutual Radio network announcer. And this is
the immaculate reception. The Raiders look like they're going to
beat the Steelers. Jack Tatum breaks up a pass from
Terry Bradshaw, but it deflects to frank O Harris, who

(01:04:20):
runs it in for the winning touchdown for the Steelers.

Speaker 17 (01:04:22):
That goes by shall he looking? He's in trouble back
there he rolls out the life he looks. He throws
deep on its out of the way. He's fight in
their hands. Franco House at the puddy, the plenty put
up the sun Sto cuts out us.

Speaker 1 (01:04:48):
I saw a documentary about that play. They re enacted
it and there's still You've got Raiders people who absolutely
say that the ball touched the ground and if Frank
o'harris played at so coily that you're never.

Speaker 2 (01:05:02):
Quite sure he caught it, I mean, like off the shoelaces.
If it didn't, that's exactly right, so close. Next one's
an NBA clip Johnny Most was a legendary announcement for
the Celtics. This was the play where Larry Bird comes
up with a steel looks like the Pistons are going
to beat the Celtics in nineteen eighty seven and the
I think this was in the Eastern Conference finals and

(01:05:22):
Bird comes up with a game winning steal.

Speaker 11 (01:05:25):
Now there's a dale by Bird.

Speaker 17 (01:05:27):
I'm gonnerneath the day game, Light up.

Speaker 12 (01:05:34):
My barn burn dole in Bobby Man lighting up.

Speaker 17 (01:05:39):
The day by day gay light it up, and Alf
and half I.

Speaker 12 (01:05:43):
Walk by name on one not gonna laugh.

Speaker 19 (01:05:47):
Oh by that light not going right.

Speaker 2 (01:05:51):
That is the distinctive voice, Gabe of Johnny Most.

Speaker 6 (01:05:54):
You're a Celtics fan, you loved him. If you're not
a Celtics fan.

Speaker 1 (01:05:58):
And he used to call I can't remember of the
two pistons, but when they were going at the bad
boy Pistons, he called one mcphilthy and the other one McNasty.

Speaker 2 (01:06:07):
Rick Mahorn and Bill Lmbierd.

Speaker 5 (01:06:08):
That's it.

Speaker 2 (01:06:08):
That's it. Yeah, I don't know which was which, but
that didn't matter. And then, Gab, you had a couple
of clips from last basketball season you wanted to use, you.

Speaker 1 (01:06:18):
Guys, you and Jack calling Well, I was looking for
the Tennessee games because when when Kentucky is beating Tennessee,
there's nobody giddier than Jack Gibbons, except maybe Jeff mccorrel.
But when it comes to basketball. But I felt like
the Oklahoma wins both of them last year. One is
regular season and one is in the tournament, and you

(01:06:41):
you did such a great job Tom of both. But
we've got the regular season game and then we'll follow
that up with the fat the great finish both by
Otaga Oway in the SEC tournament, that's where Jack almost
lost his mind.

Speaker 2 (01:06:53):
But here they are.

Speaker 10 (01:06:55):
Calls for Oway to come out.

Speaker 2 (01:06:56):
He takes the hand off, always got it, goes to
us left down the lane, angles right, flips it up,
goes in with six seconds to play, here comes Oklahoma.
Fierce drives into the lane, goes for the rams clock
by Garrison picked up.

Speaker 14 (01:07:11):
My brayer, Oh my MirOS on the clock and the
Cats get out.

Speaker 10 (01:07:14):
Of Oklahoma on the wind.

Speaker 22 (01:07:16):
What when Otaga always saves the day against his former school.

Speaker 2 (01:07:24):
And then the next one was in the SEC tournament. Yes,
Sir comes into.

Speaker 16 (01:07:27):
Oh Way, oh Way, sprints up in the front court,
drives it down to the baseline, flips it up.

Speaker 10 (01:07:34):
Good Tucky quite five to play shot from back parts.

Speaker 6 (01:07:38):
No, oh my, oh Way saves the day.

Speaker 17 (01:07:43):
Yeah, he did it twice.

Speaker 2 (01:07:46):
Oh, that had to be fun.

Speaker 14 (01:07:48):
It was.

Speaker 2 (01:07:49):
Sometimes it's just fun watching Jack or pick react.

Speaker 10 (01:07:53):
Well, another one.

Speaker 2 (01:07:53):
I remember Kentucky beat LSU in ninety eight at Tiger
Stadium on a last second seth Hanson field goal. And
I'm calling the play, Darren and all once in my
headphones out here. Yeah, And I look to my left
and there's our dear friend Jeff Van Node, a former
Wildcat who didn't have any wins against LSU, leading out
the booth, pumping both fists at the LSU fans.

Speaker 1 (01:08:16):
Because we would hear it, you guys would from the
fans during the game.

Speaker 6 (01:08:19):
I'm sure you have too.

Speaker 2 (01:08:21):
So Darren, you've got some favorites as well.

Speaker 16 (01:08:24):
Yeah, there's one from the nineteen forty seven World Series.
It's it's red Barber's calling Game six against the New
York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, who he was the
announcer for, came back at Ebbittsfield to win it. And
if you ever have a chance to listen to Red,
he's outstanding. He wrote a book that's basically my bible
for play by play broadcast right in your hands. Yeah,

(01:08:46):
it's called The Broadcasters by Red Barber, published in nineteen seventy.
You can still find it online for thirty forty bucks.
But if your prospective play by play announcer. But yeah,
just an outstanding call. And this is a rally by
the Dodgers to try to beat the Yankees and force
a game seven.

Speaker 13 (01:09:02):
Daddy's thank you is stepping in. Wait a minute, Stanky
is being called back from the plate, and lavagett All
goes up to hit. The Yankees are ahead two to one.
Jean fredoll the pinch runners at second the tying run
mixes the winning runs at first base, both out them
on with walks. Both the pinch runners no hips by
Bevans eight and two thirds innings, two out last of

(01:09:25):
the night. The pitch the lavagett A swung on and
messed the fastball that was in there. Strike one. John
Fredo walks off second, mix Us off first. They're both
ready to go on anything. Two men out, last of
the night. The pitch swung on as.

Speaker 22 (01:09:40):
A drive, head off to where the right pill.

Speaker 23 (01:09:41):
Connor Henrick is going back. He can't get it to
drop a roll for a base hit. Here comes the
tying run and here comes the winning run. Friends, they're
killing lavage at All. He's on teammates, they are beating
them to pieces, and it take gonna place that spot.

Speaker 13 (01:10:01):
They got the labajat All away from the Dodgers.

Speaker 10 (01:10:03):
By the way, the player's name is Cookie Lavagell.

Speaker 1 (01:10:09):
For and you know, Barbara was a Southerner and Alabama
exactly and landed that job.

Speaker 2 (01:10:15):
Uh what, there's no way that's gonna happen now.

Speaker 1 (01:10:17):
And in reverse, Eli Gold was in New York who
wound up the voice of Alabama. But but it took
a while for Alabama fans to accept Eli. But the
winning is what did that for him. But today you
would be deprived of a guy like Red Barber his greatness.

Speaker 2 (01:10:34):
Doing a game, doing a team like the Yankees.

Speaker 1 (01:10:37):
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. We will wrap up with a couple of
Darren Hedrick calls. And again I've played these more than once,
but we got to hear them again.

Speaker 8 (01:10:51):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:10:52):
This is from the College World Series. This is from
Kentucky's went over in Seas State. A couple of home
run calls and you set the stage so well. This
was the bottom of the ninth right, bottom.

Speaker 10 (01:11:03):
Of the ninth.

Speaker 16 (01:11:04):
Yeah, the bottom of the ninth inning. Ryan Nicholson comes up,
and I believe I'd have to go back and look,
but I think he may have led off that inning
and hit the home run. It was either the first
or second at bat of the ninth inning, hit the
tying home run. And then they came up in the
bottom of the tenth with two out. Devin Burks had
just been caught stealing for the second out, so all
the momentum was on n c State side.

Speaker 1 (01:11:26):
Here's here's Ryan Nicholson's bomb.

Speaker 16 (01:11:28):
The one swung on in the air to the left,
breaking back goes Chase Nixon looking up, it's over the
wall into the Kentucky pin it is a Conner time game.
So Nicholson hit the tying home run. Then Krittenberger in
the top half the inning made this outstanding catching left center.

Speaker 10 (01:11:47):
The wind picked up the ball and he was able to.

Speaker 6 (01:11:50):
Make usive replacement.

Speaker 10 (01:11:52):
That's right.

Speaker 16 (01:11:53):
And then in the bottom of the tenth tie game,
Kentucky was two outs. Devin Burks I think had just
been caught stealing that outstanding catcher. But NC State had
all the momentum and hanging slider. Mitch Daly was ready
for it. Here's a swinging of drive today blafft becos Nixon.

Speaker 2 (01:12:10):
Looking up Daily.

Speaker 11 (01:12:11):
Winens, Daily wins It, Daily wins It.

Speaker 16 (01:12:14):
Kentucky defeats in C State five to four on a
walk off home run five Mitchell.

Speaker 1 (01:12:21):
Daily, What was coach Madison doing? I mean, did he
almost jump out the window because he was right there
with you?

Speaker 10 (01:12:26):
He did, you know, he's always so excited. He's just
a ball of it.

Speaker 16 (01:12:30):
No, he was sitting there next to me. I think
he was trying not to clap, but he gave two
fist pumps. Ye stood up out of his chair and
as soon as I said, daily wins it. The first
time you could hear him go yes, and he was
fist pumping. Yeah, he was excited, and guys real quickly.
I just want to throw in another baseball clip we
heard on Tom Leach's show earlier, the number six Aaron

(01:12:53):
Judge sixty second record breaking home run called by John Sterling.
Thought we'd go way back in time to night sixty one,
and here Roger Morris's then record breaking number sixty one,
and the great Phil Rizzuto on the call.

Speaker 8 (01:13:07):
Yes, standing up waiting to see if Marason's going to
hit number sixty one. Here's the wind up the pitch
to Roger Way outside ball line and the fans of
stotting a bull low ball to that one within the
dirty and the Boons get louder. Two balls, no strikes

(01:13:27):
on Roger Morraws. Here's the wind up fastball hit.

Speaker 17 (01:13:31):
Me, the mics Picky x Way there.

Speaker 5 (01:13:44):
Who down, let us shut another standing.

Speaker 8 (01:13:48):
Ovation for Roger Morris Pixley one home one and there's
we're fighting for that ball out there.

Speaker 17 (01:13:54):
People are climbing over each other's back. One of the
greatest taps I've others.

Speaker 16 (01:13:59):
See ya can say what a clip there in. My
favorite part is listening or look at him fighting for
that ball out there a.

Speaker 1 (01:14:06):
Couple more really to finish up with one of our
favorite people. Of course, is Doug Flynn part of the
chain gang or chain text GA messages. We actually have
the call of Doug Flynn's first home run.

Speaker 14 (01:14:17):
God God having a deep left field, it is going
to pay hey home run.

Speaker 11 (01:14:22):
For dog Clim.

Speaker 7 (01:14:26):
Flann on a three one.

Speaker 17 (01:14:28):
Pet that was one out.

Speaker 15 (01:14:29):
Of here the left field the best thing to link
home run and at eleven of four incinatic boy, I
want to throw up for that young man.

Speaker 1 (01:14:40):
Magical moment.

Speaker 2 (01:14:41):
I think we'll both agree.

Speaker 10 (01:14:42):
That's right, but we will leave you with this.

Speaker 6 (01:14:45):
Television has a rule which is a good one.

Speaker 1 (01:14:47):
Now, if so many had jumps on the field of
playing surface, whatever, television directors do not show it because
it only encourages it. But Kevin Harlan one night on
Monday Night football had so much fun with a fan
who jumped on the field and took off running. I
think he was working Harlan with maybe Boomer Assassin, but
this was Kevin Harland Radio.

Speaker 6 (01:15:08):
You can't let this go right.

Speaker 1 (01:15:10):
Here's how Kevin Harland called it when a fan jumped
on the field somewhere and didn't quite make the end zone.

Speaker 24 (01:15:15):
Hey, somebody has run out on the field, some goofball
in a hat and a red shirt. How he takes
off the shirt. He's running down the middle by the fifty.
He's at the thirty. He's bear chested and banging his chest.
Now he runs the opposite way. He runs with the fifty,
he runs with the forty. The guy is drunk. But
there he goes the twenty. They're chasing him. They're not
gonna get him. Waving his arms, bear chested. Somebody stopped.

(01:15:40):
That comes the blue coat. They got him here coming.

Speaker 13 (01:15:43):
Oh were they tackling at the forty yard line.

Speaker 24 (01:15:46):
I hope it was worth it, my friend, because you've
got a knight in the clink coming up.

Speaker 1 (01:15:52):
Oh man, he's got such a great sense of hearing.
Iron Eagle doos too. And every now and then those guys.

Speaker 2 (01:15:58):
Let it come through.

Speaker 10 (01:15:59):
That's the perfect one.

Speaker 1 (01:15:59):
That was fun putting that together, and again thanks to
Tom Leach and Darren Hedrick, and it was fun being
a part of it. I'm glad we could share the
Leach Report over time with you here on the Big
Balloon Siders. So let us wrap up the week with Heroes,
fools and flakes. To our hero tonight is Eli Drinkwitz.

(01:16:21):
He is the head coach at Missouri, and I bring
him up. He's a good coach, obviously, but really on
top of his game at SEC Media Days.

Speaker 15 (01:16:29):
Now.

Speaker 1 (01:16:30):
This came in the big room in the writer's room,
not in the electronic media room where we were, but
he talked, among other things, about his team's offseason mission
trip to Jamaica.

Speaker 6 (01:16:41):
He talked about the Epstein Files.

Speaker 1 (01:16:43):
He talked about I'm sorry I missed this, I've seen
the clip, the jfk assassination.

Speaker 6 (01:16:48):
This all came in his opening statement at SEC Media Days.

Speaker 1 (01:16:52):
And he also had an idea on how to fix
the college football playoff. I'm not saying I'm in favor
of this, but he said, no, not twelve, fourteen or
sixteen teams.

Speaker 6 (01:16:59):
He said, thirty teams.

Speaker 1 (01:17:01):
With the SEC and the Big ten with given four bids,
the ACC and the Big twelve get three each, and
so on and so on. So and I'm not knocking
any other coach. Doops did a nice job, but I
just like him. When guys like drink Wood's get up
there and have fun with it. And he did, and
he was serious about a lot of this stuff. So
tip of the cap to him, and he again, he's

(01:17:21):
done a nice job at Missou, which is no longer
an automatic win for a lot of people in the
Southeastern Conference. Our full tonight is Rossie Rice of the
Kansas City Chiefs. It could be any number of pro
athletes or college for that matter, who lose their minds
when they get behind the wheel. This guy was sentenced
to thirty days of jail time and five years of

(01:17:43):
probation for his role in a multi car crash last year.

Speaker 10 (01:17:48):
You might remember this.

Speaker 1 (01:17:49):
It happened in Dallas. He was part of this crash
and he fled the scene, and in part of the pleagrim,
he had to pay more than one hundred and fifteen
thousand dollars in restitution to the victims of the crash
for medical expenses. Now the NFL can expedite disciplinary process
of Rice likely to get a multi.

Speaker 6 (01:18:08):
Game suspension at some point during the upcoming year. I
don't know what it is. We've talked about it before.

Speaker 2 (01:18:13):
Well, I do know what it is.

Speaker 1 (01:18:15):
Young people who are in the best physical condition of
their lives think they're bulletproof and in some instances they are,
but the people around them are not. They get behind
the wheel, they lose their minds. This guy was doing
one to nineteen in a Lamborghini Sport utility vehicle back
in May of twenty twenty four and was part of

(01:18:37):
a multi car crash. He did apologize, but too a
little too late, and he's going to jail our flake tonight.
JJ Watt retired now and one of the all time
great defensive players in the history of the National Football League.
But he is the brother of TJ Watt, who just
signed a record setting deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers. After

(01:18:59):
all this talk about maybe Pittsburgh trades him, he gets
a three year extension worth a total of one hundred
and twenty three million dollars. And again that makes him
the highest and paid non quarterback in NFL history.

Speaker 6 (01:19:13):
And it is an NFL contract, so you know, he
may not get that entire one twenty three, but I
think forty million of it was guaranteed.

Speaker 1 (01:19:21):
Anyway, his brother, whose career earnings were one hundred and
twenty nine million, and now this extension by TJ is
for one twenty three.

Speaker 6 (01:19:32):
JJ tweeted this. He said, I swear that this guy
even lets me begin to reach for my wallet at dinner.

Speaker 2 (01:19:40):
That'll do it for now.

Speaker 1 (01:19:41):
Thanks for joining us for this special edition the best
of the Big Blu Insider.

Speaker 2 (01:19:45):
That's it.

Speaker 6 (01:19:45):
Good night from the garage in Lexington.

Speaker 19 (01:20:00):
Such tact doing the shop doing can anything anything sat.

Speaker 13 (01:21:10):
I think to.

Speaker 17 (01:21:17):
Do back

Speaker 19 (01:21:30):
Then, don't do