2025-09-10 BBI

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Oh, oh, guess what day it is.

Speaker 2 (00:03):
Guess what day it is?

Speaker 1 (00:05):
Huh?

Speaker 3 (00:06):
Anybody, It's hump Day.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
Yeah, it is hump Day. Wednesday, one day closer to
Kentucky football. Welcome to the big Booing Sider Dick Gabriel
with you on a Wednesday evening. We will talk, of course,
Kentucky football. Tonight. I'll also visit with our Western Bureau
chief Gary Moore with the unforgettable Guard Sean Woods, will
preview tonight's match, actually as its beginning. Kentucky Volleyball's a

(00:33):
Wildcats take on Pittsburgh. That's another highly ranked team. The
Panthers are seventh this week and the coaches pul Kentucky
is third. Now I gotta think Texas is second. I
gotta think if Kentucky had beaten Nebraska and then followed
up with that sweep of Penn State, the Wildcats would
be number one. But that's okay. Keeping where they are

(00:53):
in algabim something to shoot for, you know, and they
may end up number one by the time the regular
season's over, and they may be number one by the
time the tournament's over. This is a really good squad.
So we'll talk with Hunter Mitchell about that coming up,
but need to talk about the quarterback situation as the
Wildcats go into the Eastern Michigan game. Look, Eastern Michigan

(01:13):
is not good unless they make this huge jump. They've
given up eighty points in two games. They lost to
an FCS team, a one DOUBA team last week. Kentucky
should pound Eastern Michigan. It should give the Wildcats a
chance to get some subs in the game and get
some confidence built up and all that stuff. But it's

(01:36):
gonna be interesting if indeed Cutter Bowlly is the starter.
Zach Calzada was at practice yesterday, but no word. They
wouldn't talk to us about you know, who did what
and how many reps and all that. But of course,
it being Tuesday, it was the day to talk offense
with coaches and players, and bush Ham Dawn, the offensive coordinator,
of course, talked first and one of the first questions

(02:00):
about a topic that Mark Stoops brought up at his
news conference on Monday, and that was the fact that
plays were there for the taking. It's just that Kalzada,
before he got hurt, obviously, was a little too indecisive
when it came to pulling the trigger and hitting a receiver.
So the question is if and when Kalzada is healthy
enough to come back, how do you handle that? What

(02:22):
do you do? That's a good question.

Speaker 4 (02:24):
I mean again, we try to, you know, keep it
as simple as we can. It's always something we look
back and reflect on.

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Again.

Speaker 4 (02:32):
You got, you know, in defense to him, you got
a guy that's been here for four months and learning
a new system and being out in that environment, being
back in the SEC for the first time in four
or five years, and so there's some things there, but.

Speaker 1 (02:47):
It's a lock the door mentality. Man.

Speaker 4 (02:49):
We come in everybody's feeling bad. We know exactly what
it feels like. And the positive is this offense, this
football team can be a damn good team. And we
got to take the next step and that's.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
What we're christol obviously, ham dan fielded a question about
all that confusion in the first half that led Kentucky
to burning three time out. It's meaning it didn't have
one when it needed it the most at the end
of the first half, and there was confusion at the
end of the half which kept Kentucky from of course
getting an opportunity to kick a field goal which would

(03:19):
have played a big role in this game, and so yeah,
he said, that's the kind of stuff you got to
take care of. Now. I think we do a deep dive.

Speaker 4 (03:27):
I mean, again, it's partly, you know, trying to play
a lot of guys, trying to get guys in the game,
you know, trying to from a matchup standpoint, all those things,
and again that that can't happen. We understand that we
made a decision at halftime to kind of shut that
down and played cleaner in the second half. But you know,
we're gonna line up there and play with with what

(03:48):
we got.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
Ham Dan, as expected, really wasn't allowed to talk or
speculate or say anything much about what was going on
with who was going to play quarterback, who was going
to start. But Stu's man, it clear that Cutter Boy
was going to play. Whether Kaalzada is healthy or not,
they Cutter Bully will play, and somebody asks him, Dan,

(04:10):
you know, what do you expect to see or what
do you need to see from Cutter whenever he gets
a chance to play on Saturday.

Speaker 4 (04:18):
Just cut it loose and make place. You know, I
think there's been so much I think that's the tough
part for a guy like Cutter in his situation. He's
an extremely talented player, so much of it is the
outside noise of uh, should you have gotten this?

Speaker 1 (04:32):
Should you?

Speaker 4 (04:33):
And then he gets thrown in the game and you're
in a situation where you got to go in and produce.
And so for him that's the number one thing as
a young quarterback. It's man, be ready when your time
is called. He's got a great opportunity play this week,
and you know we're going to be in there all
day and night with him and making sure that he's
prepared and knows what he's got to get done and

(04:53):
put the best playing together for him and.

Speaker 1 (04:55):
Zach there it is cut it loose. You know, that's
just something. For whatever reason Zach Calzada has had a
hard time doing in the first two games. Maybe he's
trying to be perfect, you know, maybe he's back in
the SEC. The players are bigger, faster, stronger. It's been
a while since he's played in the SEC. Came in
talked about exactly what Jeff mcorrel talked about on the

(05:17):
broadcast and on the show, the fact that Calzada was
not stepping up or climbing the pocket he was rolling
out and trying to throw in the run that sort
of thing. Said he needs to step up, let the
line protect him and cut it loose, and that's what
he's hoping Cutter Bully can do. As for Cutter, we

(05:38):
had a chance to talk to him after practice. This
is part of the conversation he had with the media,
and he started by kind of self critiquing. He wasn't
entirely pleased with the brief time he had against Old miss.

Speaker 5 (05:53):
I think I had some opportunities on those two drives
make some things happen. But looking back on it, know
that's a game we should have won. We could have
won and in a lot of ways, and we kind
of just shot ourselves in the foot a lot. But
it's good to look at and learn a lot of
things from going to the rest of sec play.

Speaker 6 (06:10):
Where do you think you've grown the most since you
did get that start in that Louisville game to now?

Speaker 5 (06:15):
Yeah, just kind of an overall maturity and comfortability being
and running and managing the offense, just kind of being
just a leader out there on the field, being an
extension of coach Hamden, being able to operate the offense
the way he wants it to operate, and being able
to do the things that he wants us to be
able to do offensively. I feel like I've grown in
a ton of areas, but specifically just being like a

(06:37):
captain and a commander on the field.

Speaker 1 (06:39):
For sure. You also got some reps that Texas had
a little bit of success. That's a tough place to play.
Is that still paying dividends?

Speaker 5 (06:46):
For sure? I think all the reps I was able
to get in last year paid dividends going to the season,
going to the offseason, kind of knowing to expect, know
what to prepare for, knowing how the speed is, everything
like that. But they have done a great job of that.

Speaker 7 (06:57):
Both coach Stoops and coach Handleman indicated that looking at
the film shows them you guys could be really good offensively.
Do you take confidence even though it hasn't come together yet.

Speaker 5 (07:08):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, especially after like looking at the film
and everything, like we got the dudes all across the
board offensive defensively. Wherever we have the dudes to play
in this league, we have the dudes to win a
lot of games in this league. Be one of the
best teams in this league. We just got to put
it all together, be more sound, getting the flow, and
I think we're gonna be able to do that.

Speaker 4 (07:26):
I got a chance to talk to Jamoori and he
mentioned that over the last year become more of a
vocal leader.

Speaker 7 (07:31):
Why is that important when you're commanding the offense.

Speaker 5 (07:35):
I think I'm just more confident and everything I'm doing,
That's why I'm more vocal leader. I'm not like you know,
I mean, that was something I need to work on.
But you know my confidence and how I know the playbook, well,
how I know the plays I can start telling people
what to because I know where they're supposed to be at,
you know. I mean, I can get things right and
get people set up because I know what's going on.
Just more confident and more fluid in offense.

Speaker 1 (07:53):
Let's cutter Bowley and his Handden pointed out, what a
tough situation for any backup. You know, to sit the
entire game. You prepare, but you sit the entire game,
But then the next thing you know, you're thrown into
the mix in a game that's very much in doubt
and winnable. But it would have been very difficult for
Kentucky at that point. To win the game, Cutter would

(08:14):
have had to be perfect, and they would have had
to get a break or two. But still it was doable,
and he didn't play poorly, but he did make some mistakes,
and he later said he missed a couple of receivers
that he could have had, should have had, But it
looked like he was more willing and capable of making
the plays that they have needed from Calzada. And again

(08:37):
I am as perplexed by his play as any at
quarterback I've seen in a long time at Kentucky, and
I've seen a lot of them, given the fact that
his track record shows he is capable of playing so
much better. And as I've said so many times, you
know the guy between his stay at Auburn, or rather
at a and M sat at Auburn and in carnate work,

(08:58):
and I know that's one, but it's a high one
doba program. He's thrown for a zillion yards and a
zillion touchdowns, and I watch video of him, he played
with so much confidence. It doesn't look like the same guy.
And I don't know why. So maybe we see him Saturday,
maybe they rest him. Well, we'll definitely see Cutter Bowlie

(09:19):
and it should be interesting when we come back. We'll
talk about another former Kentucky quarterback, guy by the name
of Tim Couch, and what kind of Heisman Trophy campaign
did Kentucky wage for Tim Couch. At least one person
or video producer believes it was one of the all

(09:40):
time worst. We'll talk about that on the other side
of the break here on six thirty WLAP Welcome back
to the Big Blue Insider. Coming up the Kentucky Wildcats volleyball.
Wildcats in just a few minutes take on Pittsburgh on
the road. This is number three in the country versus
number seven, and we will get a preview just as

(10:00):
it's starting with Hunter Mitchell, who covers UK volleyball for
vb adrenaline dot com and the podcast he does with
UK All American Leah Edmund will be with me on
the broadcast Sunday of UK Volleyball. The podcast is called
court Side with the Cats, so we'll talk Kentucky volleyball
a little bit later on Sean Woods, the Unforgettable Guard

(10:21):
and our West End bureau chief Gary Moore will talk
more about UK football and a lot of other stuff
I wanted to mention something I came across on YouTube.
I was looking for one thing, and is so often
the case with YouTube, you find something else. Now you're
down the rabbit hole. But this was really interesting. And
if this and if there was a big deal about

(10:43):
this when it happened, I don't remember it, and I
don't There's a lot of things I don't remember, but
I think I would have remembered this. But on the
other hand, it didn't affect me. And what it is
was there's a clip on YouTube. One is about twenty
minutes and like so many too many things on YouTube,
it could have five minutes long. Instead it's almost twenty
minutes long. But it's basically called the worst Heisman Trophy

(11:07):
campaign ever and it's about Tim Couch in nineteen ninety
eight and UK's efforts to win into Heisman. Now I
do remember this. There are people who are complaining, and
are media people who were bitterly complaining when they found
out that Kentucky UK wasn't spending any money here in

(11:29):
town on billboards and local commercial whatever it might have spent.
You know, UK's not spending enough. You're going and I
try to point out to a couple of colleagues. You
don't need to spend money in Lexington. I mean, how
many fe Heisman voters are there, first of all. But
let's say, if you're trying to exert some influence, you

(11:50):
don't need to in Lexington or even in the state
of Kentucky. You're preaching to the choir. You spend that
money all over the country with people who might be
on the fence about Couch or other people. And Tim,
by the way, ended up fourth in the Heisman voting
that year. But what the YouTube clip covers is the

(12:11):
fact that the late great Rena Viccini, who was the
SID at the time, and Rena was a pal, she
was a buddy, worked with us at the Colonel and
went on to work for The Hero Leader, the Courier Journal,
and when she retired to become a full time freelance writer.
She was an assistant ad at UK. But she had

(12:33):
the idea and today it just seems like normal business.
You know what you do. She had her video department
put together video clips of Tim Couch and email it
to tons of people, forty seconds of highlights and current stats.

(12:54):
And she e mailed. She did a mass email. All right,
she got a list of voters, and she said, she
told a newspaper reporter she spent a week typing in
email addresses and hit send. Well again, today, that's business
as usual. Back then, it became a disaster. Now, according

(13:17):
to this video clip, everybody who got this email was
up in arms because way back then, I'm talking about,
of course, nineteen ninety eight, this particular video clip crashed
everybody's computer. Now forty seconds of video, eh, you know,

(13:38):
back then they had no idea And according to this
the article, Rena said, we sent it to people in
the athletic department and others that I knew as a test,
and everyone was going crazy, meaning they liked it. So
she said, I got the list of voters and sent

(13:59):
it to them. Now, she said, some people said they
loved it. Others were unhappy because it didn't work on
their computers and caused some problems. She said. After the
first week, I got a few calls from people who
couldn't download it, and I'm quoting Rena. I clogged up
a few computers. We emailed the same list and apologized

(14:20):
and said to tell us if they didn't want more
cent and about half the people said take them off.
But according to this clip, every person on that list,
everybody had to deal with the computer shut down, and
they made it sound like four days at a time,
or at least until they could get an it person
to come help them with it. It was almost, they said,

(14:40):
like sending a virus. So it depends on what you
want to believe. But is it the worst Heisman Trophy
campaign ever? Well? Maybe because it angered so many voters.
They made it sound like maybe they might have voted
for Couch, but you know, because you clogged my computer,

(15:02):
to use Rena's word, because you overloaded it, I'm not
voting for this guy. Look, Tim had a great year,
but the Kentucky defense, as was usually the case under
how Mummy, was not good enough and he only won
seven games that year, despite the fact that Cotch rewrote
the UK record books and was a national phenomenon. So

(15:24):
if you want to watch it again, you can skip
through a lot of it. But on YouTube it's called
the worst Heisman Trophy campaign ever, And if it was
a big deal nationally, that's entirely possible. But having covered
that program both for the UK Radio Network and for

(15:47):
wk WHITE, I don't remember that story being as high
profile as they made it out to be. And again
I'm sure we locally were not sent those video clips,
because why would you. We already we already had a
bank of Tim Cootch video but I don't recall hearing
anybody else complaining about it. So again, check it out

(16:09):
for yourself. The worst Heisman Trophy campaign ever. But it's
let me see what the final tally is on It's
it's sixteen plus minutes and it's it's overdone. You can
skip to a lot of it, but you'll get the
gist of it, and let me know what you think
on Twitter if you follow on Twitter, or actually thank

(16:31):
you or Facebook especially. I posted earlier this week that
this Saturday my brother's birthday, my sister's birthday is Friday.
It's the fiftieth anniversary of yours, truly covering my first
UK football game. Now, this was in my third year

(16:52):
at UK, but my freshman year, and I wrote for
the Kentucky Colonel, the student paper. I did not cover
any football. I went to football games by being you know,
brand new to the newspaper. I wasn't going to be
assigned anything, and I football wasn't even one of my beats.
The following fall, I sat out. I had run out
of money, I had run out of interest in going

(17:13):
to school, so I sat out and just worked and
made money. I was paying my way through school and
came back the following spring. And that was the year
Kentucky went to the Final Four in San Diego. That
was a fun team to cover. So by the time
I got to cover a Kentucky football game, it was

(17:34):
nineteen seventy five, fall of seventy five, and I had
stumbled into my first broadcasting job at the campus radio
station WBKY. So the first game I ever covered wasn't
for the Colonel, it was for the radio station. And
as I wrote, I don't remember much about it. I
just know I was nervous, as I'll get out. And

(17:57):
we all thought that team was going to be really
good because the year before they had flirted with a
winning record, and we all thought this team, because it
got almost everybody back, had a lot of good players
on both sides of the ball, we thought was going
to be a bowl eligible team. And there weren't that
many bowl games back then. Remember the following year they
went to the Peach Bowl. But in seventy five, we

(18:17):
thought they'd go to the Peach or the Liberty or
something like that. But that was the year they went
to eight and one. They lost games in such bizarre fashion.
There were point shaving rumors which turned out to be bogus.
There was the kidnapped murder scandal that involved a former
Kentucky player and a former Kentucky manager, and they tried

(18:37):
to use Sonny Collins as an alibi. Oh, we couldn't
have murdered that guy. We were with Sunny Collins, which
was total b as the police saw through that right away.
But you talk about a distraction, you know, you've got
an All American running back arguably the best in the
history of Kentucky football, swept up into this scandal, and

(18:58):
to Sonny's credit, he never stopped talking to the media,
even though Frank Kersey told him to, and we at
the Colonel we broke new leads on that story four
days running. And I remember Sonny telling me that Franz said,
don't talk to the media, and he said, coach, if
I don't, it looks like I'm hiding something. And he
was absolutely right. But that was all surrounding that two

(19:23):
eight and one year and during the investigation of the
kidnapped murder. That's when police uncovered some things that turned
out to be and save violations. They notified the school,
the school turned itself in on some stuff, and the
investigation blew up and they wind up on probation which

(19:43):
kept them from going to a ballgame in nineteen seventy
seven when they were ten and one. But that all
started in nineteen seventy five when I was covering UK
football for the first time, fifty years ago. It hardly
seems possible. Where did the time go up? Next, we'll
talk Kentucky volleyball a little bit later more UK football

(20:05):
on six thirty WLAP. Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider.
Coming up tonight. It's Kentucky and Pittsburgh, two of the
top ten teams in the country, Wildcats riding high rank
third in the country, coming off a weekend that saw
Kentucky blowout Penn State, the defending national champion, and we're
working Hunter Mitchell to death of FB. I'm sorry, VB,

(20:26):
I gotta spell it properly. VB Adrenaline dot Com. Is
that it?

Speaker 6 (20:30):
That's it?

Speaker 1 (20:31):
Yeah, And the podcast Courtside with the Cats that he
does with Leah Edmund, But I got to come back
to you after that. The sweep of Penn State, my gosh. Yeah,
And in all fairness, we need to mention Penn State
lost it's outstanding setter, but still Hunter sweeping up there

(20:51):
was incredible.

Speaker 2 (20:53):
Yeah, I don't think anyone was expecting that. I mean,
I think a lot of people thought Kentucky might come
out of the win, but I think most who were
expecting in four sets, just because of how talented Penn
State is. They lost a lot from last year's championship team,
but they also reloaded in the portal and obviously, like
you mentioned, brought back as he starts. So I think
a lot of people thought it's gonna be a good
game Kentucky Mike out of there with a win. But

(21:13):
reccall is also one of the most i mean prestigious
venues in college volleyball now, so anytime you go there,
like Penn State does not lose in that building, I mean,
the court is right on top of you. So those
fans are so loud that that's a storied program that's
won so many national championships, So we knew it's gonna
be a hard game regardless of who was playing. So
for Kentucky to go in there and do that was

(21:35):
exceeding a lot of people's expectations, even after a Nebraska
game where they played so well, Like a lot of
people were surprised by how well they were playing in
that one. I think because we knew what they could
be on paper, but with the new setter, like we've
talked about, we just didn't really know if it was
going to come together best fast. So for them to
throw Ava in the starting role on her, you know,
in one of those first true road games. Albeit Nebraska

(21:57):
was kind of a road game, but you know, this
is like the first true genuine road environment in Penn State.
And then for him to just all of a sudden
throw the freshman and they're a true freshman in her
really first career time of playing regular minutes, and for
them to do that the offense was I think what
we thought it could be. Again, you expected to see
that probably in late October early November, but to see

(22:18):
it already in this non conference schedule against teams of
that caliber was something that was ridiculously impressive.

Speaker 1 (22:24):
Yeah, and you're talking about Cassie O'Brien, the freshman setter
who in her first weekend of extended action, all she
does is win sec setter of the week, you know,
eleven and a half assist per set. Do you feel
like she's beaten out Ava or will this be a
dual ceter kind of situation from here on?

Speaker 6 (22:45):
You know?

Speaker 2 (22:46):
Again, like I don't. I don't think that either one
of them has the role for good by any means.
And I think that after what Ava did against Nebraska,
like you pushed the number one team in the country
to five sets, she played great, and even in the
first set against Penn State, she played great, And so
I think a lot of us have kind of just
thought that Craig was going to rely on his experience,
but he threw in Cassie and the offense somehow looked

(23:06):
even better. We knew that she was comfortable setting the middles.
I talked of the coaching staff and the off season,
and that was one of the things they mentioned really
early about Cassie is that she really has the middle
connection down, and that's kind of rare for freshman this early,
and especially after Nebraska, where they needed to get the
middles involved more. They needed to get the right pen
involved more. I think he threw Cassie and to try
and see, like, what does the offense look like if

(23:28):
we're getting the middles more involved in transition offense rather
than just from the first ball, and the offense totally
opened up and you saw Brooklyn hit a lot more efficiently,
and you saw Eva hit a lot more efficiently. So
I think for the time being, Cassie has probably rightfully
earned that starting spot, but I don't think it's hers
by any means.

Speaker 6 (23:44):
I think Ama could still.

Speaker 2 (23:45):
Step in there, but especially tonight as they go into Pittsburgh,
I would not. I would be surprised if Cassie wasn't
the one, you know, leaving the offense, because, like you mentioned,
she did just win SEC Setter of the Week, and
again you got to think the SEC has the Florida's,
they've got Texas, they've got knock like this is a
good league now. So to win that award, really in
your first career kind of time playing is a big deal.
So I think Cassie will get it for the time being.

Speaker 1 (24:07):
She's also taller, she's six to one than have a sarapa.
How big is that, no pun intended, how much of
a difference. Let's put it that way, with the setter
as opposed to a front liner, someone who plays.

Speaker 2 (24:19):
Well, obviously, obviously it gives you size of the net
in terms of your offensive ability. We saw her attack
the ball a lot more than we usually see from
setters at Kentucky. But I think defensively, like the setter is,
one of their jobs is blocking against the opposing teams
outside hitter on that right pin. So you have to
be a good physical blocker because you're going up against
the other teams you know, most powerful often, totent often,

(24:43):
and the hitter they're going to set the most. So
you have to have a setter that knows how to block,
that can read the ball where it's going to land,
or they can at least get touches on the ball
to slow it down for your back line. And I
think you saw when Cassie went in there. I think
she finished with two blocks, which, again, like first career
game where you're actually playing, you're playing all the way around.
You're playing against Penn State and a Penn State team

(25:04):
that obviously just came off a national championship like that's.

Speaker 6 (25:06):
A big deal.

Speaker 2 (25:07):
So I do think she gives them more physicality in
the front. I think Craig likes what Ava gives them
defensively in the back round. She's a better defender on
the back line. But I think what Cassie gives it
the net is just so valuable because she's so you know,
she does have the high advantage, and she is a
good reblocker, like for a freshman, she's already blocking well
for someone who hasn't played collgeit volleyball yet. So I

(25:28):
just think that, again, I don't think it's her starting
spot full time by any means. I think she's still
going to have to earn it. Kuck have always been
that way, Like no role on the court, regardless of
your seniority or regardless of what position you are, is yours.
You have to earn it and you have to keep
earning it. So she'll have to keep playing it. But
I do think that for the time being, like I
think that it's rightfully hers, and I think that you know,

(25:49):
anytime you go into Penn State and you do that,
you know, I think you've earned it. Which is crazy
because again Ava played well in the first set. They'd
won the first set. The offense looked very good when
Ava was directing it, against Penn State, but Cassie came
in and it just it was crazy how good she looked.

Speaker 1 (26:03):
So, speaking of size and the defense, Kentucky out blocked
Penn Stage twenty to ten. I mean, that's just phenomenal.
Seven for Lizzie Carr.

Speaker 2 (26:14):
Yeah, again, the blocking, we've talked about how good it
could be, but I don't think any of us expected
them to be this good of a blocking team as early.
Lizzie Carr being six foot six is a big part
of that. Yeah, you know, when you have a middle,
when you have a middle the best that's that big
in that physical like, it certainly helps things. So and
Eva Hudson's a really great stuff blocker on the left
pen like you don't usually see. You don't usually see

(26:35):
that out of left sides that are that talented and
that terminal with their blocking ability. Obviously Brooklyn is still
working on that, but Eva's a great left side blocker.
She reminds me of Leo. When Leah played for Kentucky,
she was always a really good left side blocker. And
so with Eva's ability to block, combined with Lizzie Carr
and then you throw in the brook Bowltimore, that Kennedy Washington,
you throw in what Cassie O'Brien's giving you. It just

(26:55):
this blocking has really been the best that I think
Craig has had. And I think a Maya Tilman again
that joined the coaching staff from Louisville when she played
there is and then the blocker like has really changed
the way they've done things. And I talked to the
coaching past like what's different, what what is Amaya bringing?
And a lot of it has just been like, hey,
it's just the fundamentals, the little stuff that's not making
these massive blocking adjustments. It's just making sure that we're understanding,
you know, reading where the setter is going to go,

(27:16):
and making sure our hands are pressed and shaving towards
the court. So I think Amaya has just brought a
lot of life into the blocking side of things, and
I think they're enjoying it. You can tell they're having
fun blocking and getting stuff blocks, but also getting you know,
touches on the block to slow it down. So I
think that is also part of it too, Like when
you're having fun with that kind of stuff, that makes
it easier to do.

Speaker 1 (27:33):
So I'm talking to Hunter Mitchell of VB Adrenaline dot
Com and the podcast court Side of the Cats that
he does with the former UKL American Leah Edmund Wildcats
as we speak, playing Pitt on the road number three
versus number seven, and then of course this weekend the
Wildcats are home with a round robin SMU, a good

(27:54):
SMU team, and then Houston Saturday Sunday. You're talking about
Lizzie Carr, by the way against Penn State, six blocks
in twelve swings and only one air. Kentucky as a
team hit three forty nine. Penn State hit two forty.
That's not bad, but when the other team's hitting three fifty,

(28:14):
you're in trouble.

Speaker 2 (28:15):
Yeah, And Dick, if you remember the championship year when
Kentucky won it all, the hallmark of that card was
how efficient they were and how good the offense was.
That's what Craig is kind of He's kind of almost
changed his mall. Remember, Craig has always been this defensive
coach that's always been all about defense, and he still is.
Do not mishear me, Like he still wants to have
a good defense, right, but I think you've seen him

(28:36):
shift a little bit more towards like running this faster offense,
this offense that is generating a lot more kills per set,
the setters that are going up there and being more
physical and able to move the ball around. Those have
been his best teams, and this is reminiscent of that
in terms of like being able to efficiently put the
ball down against the best teams. That's what Madison Lily
did so well when she won that national championship. Was

(28:56):
just you genuinely didn't know how to defend the Kentucky
that year because he set the ball in a way
that he didn't know where she was going. And when
you have hitters like Brooklyn Delay and Eva Hudson, you
busy car who's six foot six, and brook Baltimore, Kennedy Washington, Like, yeah,
there's no way to stop it. And I quote tweeted
a tweet on Twitter from that Penn State game of
like the opposing blocker was cheating towards the left pen
to go stop Brooklyn, and the other one was sheeting

(29:18):
to the right pin to.

Speaker 6 (29:19):
Go stop Asia.

Speaker 2 (29:19):
But Cassie set the ball to Eva in the back
girl on the bick and she was one on one
or one on none, Like there's no way to stop
that cannot react.

Speaker 6 (29:26):
Fast enough to an offensive that fast.

Speaker 2 (29:28):
So as long as Casfie and Craig and then keep
this offense going and they continue to solidify those connections
because keep in mind, like there are still some timing issues,
like the ball still isn't being put in the exact
right spot yet, and they're still getting killed. They're still
finding ways to put themselves in position to score on
the next time they get the ball back, and they
already looked as good. That's why I think like there's

(29:49):
so much positive growth that can still be made. Like
I don't think this team is peaked by any means,
and so I think that that's what's really exciting to
see is just this is kind of a similar trajectory.
You know, you don't want to extrap played out too far,
overreact to early, Like this is a similar thing to
what we saw with Kentucky when they won that national championship.
Was just an elite level offense, a great setter and
the ability to move the ball around to really stop

(30:11):
any defense regardless of who you were playing.

Speaker 1 (30:13):
Yeah, because that offense and the championship year we've talked
before had so much more than Stumbler and Alie Stumbler,
and this now is so much more than Brooklyn Delay
an elite player. But last year, as good as she was,
the top teams could load up, try to double team
her and try to make everybody else beat you, and

(30:34):
it could only take Kentucky so far. But now, like
I said, Eva Hudson and Lizzy Carr, I mean, there's
just so many weapons. Now. You mentioned brook Baltima, who
I thought played really well last year, coming in off
the injury season where she sat out, did not see
any action against Penn State, it just didn't work out

(30:55):
that way, and then was incredible against New Hampshire. Granted
not a great program, but she comes in and she
goes seven for eight. I mean that's another weapon, either
off the bench or in the starting lineup.

Speaker 2 (31:08):
Yeap, And again we talked about the depth. I think
we were kind of all assuming it was going to
be the depth of the pins in the center that
we're going to be on display. But like for Baltimore,
was a great middle blocker for Kentucky last year, Like
a lot of people thought that if any of the
middle blocker spots were going to be flocks, it was
going to be Lizzy Carrs, like you know, she could
be a project. She hasn't really been playing middle a
whole lot. She was more on the right side for Purdue,
like we'll see if she's able to get to it

(31:29):
offensively where they wont her. But it's been Brooke and
Kennedy who'd really been battling for that spot. And again,
like Brooke gives you a lot more offense, I think
than Kennedy does, and she's really good defensively. But you
saw against Penn State, how many blocks did Kennedy had.
I mean, she had a couple even one on one
blocks that were just in a girl to Kentucky either
staying in a rally. Maybe it didn't go down for
a point, but they stayed in the rally because of it,
or it just like blocks, it went down for points.

(31:51):
So their depth really at every position is so strong
that it's hard to argue that you know, well, this
one person should be starting well. When they're all playing well,
it's hard to find court time for all of them,
which is a good problem for Craig to have well, and.

Speaker 1 (32:05):
It also allows him to use not just the bench,
but use practice as a motivator. We talked about it
at nauseum on this show and on the telecast. If
you practice well, you will play if you play volleyball
for Kentucky. So and by the way, this stat was insane.

(32:26):
And again New Hampshire is a have not with all
due respect compared to Kentucky. But Kentucky in that match
hit five eighty one, which is insane and held New
Hampshire at sixty five. So a good way for Kentucky
to kind of work on some things and work out.
But now, starting tonight, three tough matches in five days,

(32:46):
We're going to learn a lot more about this team,
aren't we.

Speaker 2 (32:49):
Yeah, And honestly, Pittsburgh kind of comes at a good
time for Kentucky. I think Penn State plays very similar
to how Pittsburgh will play. So Olivia Babcock is Pittsburgh's
biggest hit or she is one of, if not the
best hitters in the country. So she's their right side hitter,
which again Remberbecca to Penn State. Kennedy Martin played on
the right side for Penn State, and Kentucky's game plan
was pretty simple. It was very much like, let's slow

(33:10):
down Kennedy and then see if anyone else can beat us.
The goal tonight will be can we slow down Olivia
Babcock enough to where maybe she's getting you only sixteen kills,
but she's hitting on a I don't know, two hundred efficiency,
she's not getting her usual efficiency or kill numbers, And
then can Pittsburgh beat you with anybody else? Pittsburgh had
a lot of turnovers from that final four rooster last year.
They lost both of their outside one of them graduated,

(33:32):
one of them transferred to Texas. They lost their setter,
they lost the livero. So you've got a lot of
new pieces and a lot of you know, new places.
So Kentucky's job should tonight should be can you capitalize
on that? Can you get people who are not used
to playing in these positions yet uncomfortable enough that maybe
Olivia Babcock either isn't getting opportunities to swing or that
she's swinging in opportunities that aren't really you know, places

(33:55):
where she can score efficiently. And if you do that,
I think you have a chance to be another really
good Pittsburgh team. And again, like you look at the
roster or the schedule, excuse me, like this schedule is loaded.
We knew not going into the season. You have a
chance here to pick up a second top ten win
in three days with SMU waiting in the wings for Sunday,
which would be three in a week. So and that's
like hunting in Louisville next, right, Like, yeah, you have

(34:16):
so many chances where you're you can really build a resume.
And we've talked for years about man Kentucky has kind
of been on that like seven or eight seed line
the last several years in the intil the Tournament, and
they've been one or two of those big wins in
the non conference away from getting maybe in the conversation
for that top four seed. And they've been close a
lot that they've missed a lot of them. So now,
you know, I think at Penn State was a really

(34:37):
good start. You know, you'd beat the Penn State team
that didn't have their starting center from last year, but
frankly Andy Lyon stepped in and she was great for
Penn State that night. They did not lose that game
because of the setting.

Speaker 6 (34:46):
She was great.

Speaker 2 (34:48):
So I think this is when you're really building the
opportunity to possibly host in the Intiibula Tournament. Come you know,
the tournament time because then you have the chance to
play at home until the final four. So that's such
a big banage in volleyball, but you want to take
advantage of it. So now it's the time to do it.
And I think again Pittsburgh is a good time to
play them right after Penn Stak because I think the
game plan will likely be kind of similar to what

(35:09):
it was against Penn Stick.

Speaker 1 (35:11):
Well, we'll see how it goes and we'll talk about
it soon. If you want to follow Hunter on X
or Twitter h Mitchell fourteen, check out the website Vbadrenaline
dot com and check out his podcast with Lee Edmund
Courtside with the Cats. Thank you, sir, we will see
you at Historic Memorial Coliseum.

Speaker 6 (35:28):
I'll be there. Thanks sick up.

Speaker 1 (35:29):
Next the Eagles, Jalen Carter basically gets away with it
and an incredible donation from a college football booster back
in just a minute on the Big Bloon Sider six
thirty wlap Welcome back to the Big Blue and Sider.
Thanks again to Hunter Mitchell for joining us. And again
the Kentucky pitt matches on even as we speak, so

(35:51):
check that out. On a big weekend for the Wildcats
coming up with the match with SMU on Saturday Houston
on Sunday, I will work that one with Lee Edmund
on SEC Plus. Wanted to share though a couple of
notes with you. As I had mentioned earlier, the NFL
has said the Jalen Carter, he's the d lineman who

(36:11):
spit in the face of Dak Prescott before that game
even got off the ground. His serving he's already served
as suspension, basically suspended for one game, but of course
he was ejected immediately, so they were saying that game
served as his one game suspension, so he's not missing

(36:31):
any more games for spitting on Prescott, which is bogus.
And on top of that, he was fined in air
quotes fifty seven two hundred and twenty two dollars. That's
his week one game check, fifty seven thousand, two hundred
twenty two dollars. He won't even feel that, and yet

(36:54):
that's where it ends. The Eagles and his agent worked
on an agreement that the team would not use the
suspension to void guarantees in his contract or seek signing
bonus payment forfeiture, because that's what it's all about. That
is just not not a good look for the National
Football League. Now here's a good look for the University

(37:17):
of Illinois, especially if you're an a LINEI fan. There's
a guy named Larry Geese or geist Gs who has
donated one hundred million dollars to the athletic department. And
you better believe that immediately they have renamed the football
stadium in the honor of his family. It's the largest

(37:41):
gift in Illinois of course athletics history, believed to be
among the biggest ever given to any college athletic department.
This came less than a month after Kansas got a
gift of three hundred million for its football stadium project
athletic programs. And if you're Mitch Barnard or an ad

(38:05):
these days, you got to wonder where are these people
coming from.

Speaker 3 (38:10):
Now?

Speaker 1 (38:10):
This guy at Illinois made the donation and the memory
of his late father, who served in the US Army.
The stadium had been called Memorial Stadium, now will be
called Geese or Geis Memorial Stadium to honor soldiers like
his dad. It says. This guy made his money as
the founder's EEO of Madison Industries, a successful privately held company.

(38:33):
He also donated one hundred and fifty million to the
school's general fund, and they renamed the schools the Illinois
Business School after him. So he's not just all about athletics.
But these numbers are staggering. For at least he's spreading
it all over campus. Up next hour number two with

(38:53):
the Unforgettable Guard, Sean Woods and Weston Bureachief Garny Moore
on six point thirty wap.

Speaker 8 (39:05):
Suet such such tact taking the sun anything, do anything on.

Speaker 1 (39:57):
Such Welcome back to the Big Blue and sider joining

(40:49):
us now he does each and every Wednesday. Is our
Unforgettable Guard. Sean Woods is Jersey, hangs in the rafters
of RUP and we talked not just basketball with but
football is Woods. Let me ask you about some of
your colleagues there. They're football coaches, but they are your peers.
You know, you guys, you're in that fraternity. You know
what it's like. Uh, and you've got now you don't

(41:11):
exactly know what it's like for these guys. I'm talking
about kelln de Borer at Alabama, Billy Napier at Florida,
two traditional football powers that are struggling right now. Alabama,
of course, blew out ul Monroe last week, which it
should have, but lost to Florida State in its opener
and didn't look good doing it. Now, I think Florida

(41:32):
State's better than most people think, but still Florida State
has owned Alabama. I thought in that game, Florida loses
at home, pays a gazillion dollars to bring in South Florida,
and then loses and looks bad doing it, you know.
And again, South Florida is a pretty good team, beat
the crap out of Boise State. But none of that

(41:54):
matters to the fan base, does it. I don't know
how much you can relate to these guys, Sean, but
I know your heart goes after these coaches. But man,
they've got it all and they're struggling.

Speaker 6 (42:06):
Well, you know, it's it's such an even playing field now,
and it's such parody because of the transfer portal and
things like that.

Speaker 1 (42:15):
You know.

Speaker 6 (42:16):
It ran Nick Saban out, you know, and it you know,
and he's considered one of the top five or top
two or three college basket I mean, football coaches of
all time. Yeah, you know, it's just not the same.
You can't establish culture, you can't establish experience. Because every
year you're either trying to re recruit the kid that's

(42:39):
going to leave for more money or you're getting a
new kid in that you know nothing about. And you know,
got teams like South Florida that probably didn't have as
many transfers and kept most of their guys, and you're
going up against a Florida who's an inexperienced team, not
from from an experienced team, but from a team standpoint.

(42:59):
You know, any thinking happened. And you know it's tough
because you're you're at Florida and you're at a traditionally
really good place that they're used to winning, and that's
all they want to do is win. And no doubt
about at Alabama. But you know, somebody's got to understand
it's hard to get a grasp on the way college

(43:20):
athletics is. And I'm not you know, I am taking
up for coaches because it's not the same. It really isn't.
And you know, coach are thrown out the window. What
you're wearing on your test on the front part is
thrown out the window. It's about individuals now and buying
in and you know you're going to see some inconsistency

(43:44):
you're in and you're out with some of these powerhouses
because of it.

Speaker 1 (43:48):
Napier took over for Dan Mullen, who had let things slide.
He was not the most aggressive recruiter. Everybody knew that,
you know, and he was a guy who had taking
over a program that was that was flying high. Callen
de Bor comes and you mentioned Nick Saban. He comes
in and and you don't replace the Nick Saban, obviously,

(44:10):
but you try to keep things going and you always,
you know, the saying is always you want to replace
the guy who replaced the guy. That's why you got
to respect what Joe b did at Kentucky. But I
don't you know, Debor still though he's lost to four
unranked teams, and is you know what two plus seasons
there Saban did it and lost four of those games

(44:31):
in his entire stay at Alabama. I don't know. I
guess how tough it would have been for Debor to
pick up where Saban left off. I don't think that
was possible just because of the way Nick Saban was wired.
But still, you got so much going for you at Alabama,
don't you.

Speaker 6 (44:48):
I guarantee you the support staff there when Nick Saban
left was like true, and they start doing things that
they weren't doing before. You know, the accountability I can
get run to you is not the same. So when
accountability is not the same because there's a head change,
things go down. And I'm willing to bet anything that

(45:09):
that's exactly what happened because Nick Saban kept everybody on
a string, including the janitor coach. Betino was the same way.
When you have guys like that that have you know
that that are that are big time coaches. Everybody is coached,
everybody is on string. Everybody is given one hundred and
ten percent, from the head coach to the coaches, to

(45:29):
the players, to the managers, to the grad assistants, to
the trainers, to you know, even the way you take
out the garbage. You know, there's there's a there's a
certain there's a certain level of excellence that festers all
the way down. And when you have a guy that

(45:49):
has been as such a dominant personality and used to
winning and wasn't going to accept anything but a certain effort,
and then you get another guy in who's not that,
and then people who support staff starts to lax a
little bit, and things like that that's when things falter.
You only as good as your support staff and the

(46:10):
beauty of you know, some of the big time coaches
they coach everybody. They expect excellence from everybody. And when
you're not getting that excellence from everybody, there's going to
start to become some inconsistency. And that's what happens when
a new guy comes in and you know, he wants
to be the nice guy instead of carrying to iron

(46:31):
fist like those other guys did, things start to happen
like this.

Speaker 1 (46:34):
It wants to be liked, I guess, I mean everybody does.

Speaker 6 (46:38):
Nick Saban didn't care about being like you know, Rick
Patino don't care about being like you know, the great
ones don't care about being liked. And you know, and
and and that's the thing, and that's what big you know,
Bill's excellence. And when you come in trying to be
liked instead of doing what has already been done, and
then people around you like, oh, okay, it's going to

(46:58):
be easier. I ain't got to get up at four
in the morning. I can get up at six now,
you know, I don't have to have these at a
certain amount of time. You know what I'm saying, when
everybody's not like that on pins and needles, things start
to falter. And that's exactly what I think is going on.

Speaker 1 (47:14):
Yeah, and you know that that may be the case
with the bride, don't know, But I also was reading
that he has the kind of personality which I think
goes directly to what you were just saying. That was
good for the Pacific Northwest, where he was, but not
exactly at Alabama. But on the other hand, if you're
an ad, if you're doing the hiring, if you're Greg

(47:36):
Burner used to be a Kentucky you're not going to
be able to go out and find another Nick Sable.
There's only one Nick Saban. You know, when Kentucky hired
Charlie Bradshaw, i'd been an assistant to Bear Bryant. He
tried to be like Bear Bryan. That might have been
his genuine personality. I don't know, but guys I know
who played for him and we're here when he was

(47:57):
here said he was trying to be another Bear Bryant
and that just didn't work. So you got to be
true to yourself, right, Well, you do.

Speaker 6 (48:05):
But here's the deal, too, Change creates even more of
a challenge because no, he wasn't Bear Brant. But he
tried to come in and give the same principles as
Bear Brant, and people didn't respect him like they did
Bear Bryant. You see what I'm saying. So they tried him,
and I guarantee you he faltered because if I'm gonna

(48:27):
get fired, I'm gonna get fired doing it my way.
I ain't gonna get fired doing it your way. Yeah,
And Bear Bryan and the great ones, that's how they think,
and that's how they're wired. And you can't play both
sides of the fence. You either got to be all
one or all the other. But you can't be played both.
Just can't.

Speaker 1 (48:42):
And then one thing that Bradshaw was dealing with was
was something put in place by Bear Bryant when Bryant
was on his way out. He was only here for
another year or two, but he instituted the rule. Get
this coach, where we are only going to recruit kids
from the state of Kentucky with the occasional exception, only
recruiting kids from the state of Kentucky. Well, how many

(49:04):
high schools back then were playing football, top notch football,
So that really Hamstrong Blanton Collier who came in, Charlie
Bradshaw came in, meaning Charlie Bradshaw might have been trying
to be Bear Bryant minus the quality players that Bear
Bryant had back in the fifties. And some of the
players that Bear Bryant had were in their mid to
late twenties because they had fought in World War Two

(49:26):
and had gone back to college. These were grown ass
men playing for Bryan in nineteen fifty one. So it
was an entirely different scenario under Charlie Bradshaw, which comes
back to talent level. And that brings me to before
We hit the Break, a story that Saban told on
himself on TV and and made the rounds. You may

(49:47):
have seen this, but he said one of his first
coaching lessons came when he was a player. He was
a sophomore quarterback in Fairmount, West Virginia, my dad's hometown,
and they were playing in either a state championship for
a state playoff game, and they called time out with
a few seconds left near the goal line, and the
coach said, I want you to call the play, and

(50:09):
young Nick Saban said, well, what do I do? And
he said, well, you got an all state halfback and
you got an all state wide receiver. I would get
the ball to one of those two guys if I
were you. So what does he do? Fakes a hand
off to the half back, throws a touchdown pass to
the receiver and they win the big game. And he said,
that's when I learned it's more about the players than

(50:31):
the plays. And you and I have talked about that
on more than one occasion, haven't we.

Speaker 6 (50:36):
You know that old saying goes, yep, Jim and Joe's. Okay,
rather have the Jim and Joe's than you do have.
You can have all the excellent nose that you want,
but you need those jim and Joe's to execute it.

Speaker 1 (50:49):
Did you ever have anybody, I'm sure you have, forget
the play between breaking the huddle and stepping onto the court.
I've heard that story more than once.

Speaker 6 (51:00):
Say it again.

Speaker 1 (51:01):
Now. I've heard coach basketball. Coaches say they'll call a
play in the huddle, and a player who's deeply involved
in that play will between the time it takes to
break the huddle and walk out on the court, they
forget the play. Oh my gosh, have you never heard
that or encountered that.

Speaker 6 (51:20):
Oh oh yes, yes, okay, I figured, yeah, you.

Speaker 1 (51:25):
Might have played with some people who did that. I
bet players tell me that one of their teammates when
they break the huddle, they go, what are we doing now? Well,
just got to drive guys like you crazy.

Speaker 6 (51:37):
Oh my god, it'll drive you nuts. I mean, I mean,
and you know, coming out of a timeout that is
such so titious that you know what I'm saying, execution
is major. And when you don't have guys to pay
attention to hudd that can go out and go out
and mess up the play right when you said it
in the timeout. Oh my gosh. That's that's because it's.

Speaker 1 (52:00):
Not the first time they've heard it either. It's not
like you didn't do it. No, no, no, no, no,
all right, we'll take a break, come back and talk
more with Sean Woods, the unforgettable guard. Here on the
Big Blue Insider six thirty WLAP Welcome back. We're talking
with Sean Woods, the unforgettable guard whose jersey hangs in
the rafters of ruppies, preparing his Scott County High School

(52:21):
Cardinals for the upcoming season. Why don't we talk a
little basketball, starting with Lebron James. Lebron James is touring China.
This is part of the NBA's move to you know,
expand globally and that kind of thing. And he is
crazy popular over there Sean, which I guess we shouldn't

(52:41):
be surprised, you know, what with the Olympics and how
we have taught the world how to play basketball. But
I just always think it's really interesting. First of all,
the NBA working to rebuild its brand in China. They
had some some hiccups there and in fact, the league
was basically banned for several years in over something Adam

(53:02):
Silver did or did not do. But I just think
that Lebron being hailed a hero over there has been
really interesting. I guess that didn't surprise you, does.

Speaker 6 (53:12):
It, no, Because we are going global now that you know,
basketball is all over the world and as you can see,
you know, these other these other UH countries are catching up. Yeah,
you know, especially on the amateur side. You know, we're
we're going over there getting a bunch of you know,
getting kids to come over to play college athletics. But

(53:33):
not only that, the NBA is starting to get become
more European and and I'll tell you what. We're starting
to do things that they're doing over there. We inherited
that the the euro step that we didn't have at first,
that's legal now, which was called a travel before it travel,

(53:54):
but it's not a travel. It is a travel, but
it's not called anymore. So you get the euros the
agent rules because of it. You know, we're going to
you know, international rules per se and a lot of
things that we're doing in our rule changes. So you know,
it's becoming the gap is getting closer and closer, and
it's it's a universal game. Basketball is more so than

(54:17):
any other sport. And kudos to Adam Silver and you know,
what better way to create excitement and other countries than
to take the most popular and one of the best
players they've ever done it.

Speaker 1 (54:28):
Yeah, well, speaking of popular, obviously, basketball in the city
of Georgetown and in the County of Scott has been
popular for a long time. And we've talked about coaches
coming in taking over. We know Scott County struggled last year.
But what's it been like for you in Georgetown? Just

(54:48):
you know, going to the grocery store, walking down Main Street,
assuming you have with the fun and again. You know,
your crosstown rival in the state last year, But what's
it been like for you as a new coach in
that community.

Speaker 6 (55:01):
Well, Scott County, you know, it's a difference. There's Scott
County and there's there's a great cross and you know,
the pride and tradition is Scott County and the people
you know what I'm saying that are thirty and up
or you know, they they remember the tradition that Billy
Hicks had. So you know, everybody's excited. You know, it's
been nothing but positive vibes. And the guys are you know,

(55:22):
are thirsty for you know what we're bringing from, you know,
winning culture and changing the culture and things like that.
But we're just grinding, dick, you know.

Speaker 5 (55:31):
What I mean.

Speaker 6 (55:31):
We got a long ways to go, but the guys
are coming coming in and giving me everything they got
and nothing but good things can happen with the way
we're going about it and where we're working out every
day and the way these guys are really thirsty for,
you know, something that they've never had before. So it's
been fun. It's very refreshing, and the people in Scott
County and Georgetown has been great.

Speaker 1 (55:51):
I think you're in an interesting spot where you, yeah,
you need I don't know if it's changed the culture
or tweaked the culture or whatever, but it has them
in great of lady asamn what people were used to.
But they did get used to the Billy Hicks era
when Scott KNY, Scott County wasn't a top ten team.
Something was wrong. So how do you walk that fine

(56:13):
line between changing culture and embracing what had been there?

Speaker 6 (56:19):
Well, you embrace it because you know it's there. The
past is there, you know, the tradition is there. Now
you just got to get it back there from a
competitive standpoint, you know, and you know things are different
the way things are now, But you know they're interested
in the results. They want the red and white in
rupp Aerna. And that's what was so attractive to me.

(56:39):
That everybody's so bought into excellence. And when you're around
people that are expecting excellence, then they're going to give
you the support, excellent support. And that's the reason why
Scott County has been you know what it is because
of the support that this county has had for Scott
County basketball, and they're so thirsty for it. Now that

(57:00):
it's I'm having fun with it. You know, everybody's bought
in and you know from expectations, my expectations and how
we're going about it has been great and it's matching
everybody else's expectations. Now we got to get the results
and that's you know, only going to you know that
in due time that you know we're we're playing on
getting back there.

Speaker 1 (57:18):
Is it more intense now because the school on the
other side of the county want to stay title.

Speaker 6 (57:24):
That doesn't bother me, you know what I mean, what
about what about the fans? I don't even think that either.
You know what I'm saying. It happened. You know, you had,
you know, a generation of talent, you know, and that
kid goes anywhere. I mean that kid could have gone
to fifteen schools and with four years either want to
stay championship. Yeah, yeah, you know that things being things
like that that happened. Now that it's not and it's

(57:46):
pretty much even for the most part, and now let's
go for what you know, Now we're trying to build
something like that to where we can attract kids like
a male ofcom Mareno to want to come play at
Scott County like Billy Hicks did. And uh, get it
back to that because you know, like like we just
talked about, you know, you can have all the extra
those but it takes Jim and Joe's and we want

(58:07):
our program to be the elite program to where kids
want to come and play for Scott Cannon Basketball.

Speaker 1 (58:14):
Yeah, and you know he and Moreno will be the
first person to tell you he wasn't the only player
they had. They had a couple of other D one
prospects on that team. But yeah, you're right, he is clearly,
I think, a generational talent. And they don't just walk
into your office every day, do they.

Speaker 6 (58:31):
That's the kind of thing coach seven foot walking in
walking the hallways on a regular basis, and that can
play and has great jeans. You know, his dad play
was a decent player at Georgetown. His brother was a
pretty good player, and so you know basketball, his basketball
DNA was pretty good and and top it off, being
seven foot shoot. You know, here's a guy right now

(58:53):
who's questionable NBA draft pick next year, next just draft.
So that doesn't come, that doesn't come across any high
school coaches. Uh, walking in any high school on a
regular basis. You understand what I'm saying. So you you're
I don't care who you got around him, You're gonna
attract somebody else that wants to play with a guy

(59:13):
like that, just because you know you're gonna get attention,
and everybody wants some attention.

Speaker 1 (59:18):
That's very true. Yeah, Hey, I want to go play
with a kid, although a lot of those kids have
been playing together since middle school. But and the other
thing too is and again I'm heaping praise and a guy,
you know, played for your arch rival, but I know
you respect him, and now that he's a wildcat like you, unselfish,
I mean they had to. They had to urge Malacha
Marina to be more selfish on the court.

Speaker 6 (59:38):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (59:38):
And you can't teach that either, can you.

Speaker 2 (59:41):
No, he was.

Speaker 6 (59:42):
He was the perfect storm, you know what I'm saying,
at the perfect time, and within four years, you know,
you got one. Kudos to them, you know what I'm saying.
People would have been more disappointed if they didn't win. Yeah,
when you got you know, two or three, you know,
you got a high major guy who could be a pro.
You got a high mid major kid that's going on
to morehead. You got another guard that they just lost,

(01:00:04):
but you know, he was pretty good too. And the
kid that transferred was really good. I thought, I mean,
I transfer who quit the little point guard? But they
still made it, you know. And I tell people all
the time, I don't care who you are, how talented
you are. If you want to state championship, that's that's
a major feat. And they did what they needed to
do within the four year span of having malacot Mareno

(01:00:24):
to to win the state championship.

Speaker 1 (01:00:26):
Maybe we will see Scott County back in rupp Arena
in time for the Sweet sixteen, and if so, we
will be talking to Sean Woods about just that, and
we talk with him each and every week here on
the Big Bone Sider. Thanks coach, talk to.

Speaker 6 (01:00:38):
You soon, all right, Dick, take take care, buddy up next.

Speaker 1 (01:00:42):
West End zero Chief Gary Moore here on six thirty WLAP.
Welcome back to the Big Blue Insider. It is Wednesday,
which means we cast our eyes to the west down
I sixty four to our West End Bureau Chief, Gary Moore.
Many years as there was Coast Bureau Chief and now
in LA eight years thousand, it felt like it now
in the Louisville area. He checks in with us each

(01:01:03):
and every week.

Speaker 3 (01:01:04):
Well, two guys in a six pack to you and me,
and we got six things to talk about. I have
a Super Bowl sixty prediction the world has been waiting
all summer for. That's a little bit longer though, because
first I must say it was not as awful as
I thought it might be. Not this is the disaster
that some predicted. But still, you know what, it sucked.
I'm not talking about UK, I'm not talking about Uko

(01:01:26):
miss game yet, talking about commercials now polluting the greatest
TV channel ever in the history of ever NFL red Zone.
There were four fifteen second spots adding up to a
full minute overall over the broadcast, but no longer seven
hours of commercial free football. The spots were in like

(01:01:48):
a split screen in case you didn't see it, with
the game action on one side. I caught a couple
of the ads Wingstop and Fan Duel, and both of which,
by the way, are getting massive amounts of boycott promises
from my rate fans who like me, don't want any
ads after football broadcast perfection since what two thousand and
nine something like that? Do we have enough ads already?

(01:02:09):
We don't. I guess somebody, some guy probably justifying his
job NFL like, hey, why don't we how come this
is commercial free? Can we get some extra dough off
of this?

Speaker 6 (01:02:19):
Well?

Speaker 3 (01:02:19):
You made like how many billions last year in the
NFL customer outrage made Cracker Barrel do a one to
eighty on their stupid change for the sake of change?

Speaker 6 (01:02:28):
Dick?

Speaker 3 (01:02:28):
Would I be naive to think that the same sort
of fan fury would stop the NFL from cashing in
on this, I would, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:02:36):
I think saying no to any money it would be
considered naive. But here's the problem. You're paying twice now
when when you're watching the and we love our sponsors,
we do. But when you're already paying the streaming fee
for however you get your TV, and now you're being

(01:02:58):
asked to sit through more ads, you know you won't
see fewer, you'll see more. At least they made them
split screen and they dip their toe into the water
and they'll never back away from it. So and here's
the other thing too, is it's the fact that they
have properly promoted it as commercial free. They never let
us forget that, did they? Sixteen years yes, yeah. If

(01:03:23):
if they had ignored that part of it, that's one thing.
But they hung their helmets on that and now they
can no longer.

Speaker 6 (01:03:30):
Do that.

Speaker 3 (01:03:32):
Second twig, So now on on too, U of.

Speaker 1 (01:03:34):
K In the correct what you did there? I like
what you did there.

Speaker 3 (01:03:38):
I thought you would.

Speaker 6 (01:03:39):
You will love you.

Speaker 3 (01:03:41):
In the Courier Journal post mortem after the game, Colin A. CJ.
Brown had this headline quote, Kentucky football passing game will
be its demise. Mark Stoops clearly got QB wrong again.
Unquote c. J. Brown in the CJ. I'm not going
to go that far yet, because UK did do some

(01:04:03):
good things Saturday. Those two early interceptions ten point lead,
just not enough good things. I think Mark said the
same thing. Some of that was on the coaches and
the confusion and play calling, getting guys in, getting guys out.
Of course, some of it was on the players. The mistackles,
no sacks, both of those things at the top of
my list Saturday. This Saturday, you'll be out there when
UK is a twenty three and a half point favorite

(01:04:23):
hosting an Eastern Michigan team that should make for both
an easy cover and a win. Obviously, cutter Bowlley is
gonna have a chance to man up, but that's not
going to be the real test. That'll be the gauntlet
of five kind of five top twenty five SEC teams
so far in a row, starting on the twenty seventh
after a bye week. So I ask you, what's the

(01:04:44):
fan vibe like over there?

Speaker 1 (01:04:46):
And like, well, until they get this quarterback thing straightened out,
it's not great. But I think everybody came to the conclusion,
and you and I have talked about this, that this team,
which I believe is better than last year's team, may
not refle that with the one loss record, just because
of the brutal schedule. I mean, welcome to the SEC.
And as I keep saying, nobody's backing up in the SEC,

(01:05:09):
everybody's spending more, everybody's bringing in more transfers. Mississippi State's
to and oh after upsetting Arizona State, which only won
the Big twelve last year, Vanderbilt. I mean, you know
the teams that people grew up checking off on their
one loss. You know, that's a win, that's a win,
even though literally half the time it was a loss,

(01:05:31):
they still considered it almost an automatic win. Those days
are gone forever and it's tough for people to take
third swig after a couple of games. Both Louisville and
Western have got bye weeks, by the way. U of
L Volleyball on TV tonight with Texas ESP at nine o'clock.

Speaker 3 (01:05:49):
Check out the teams though that don't have bye weeks
this weekend high noon number twelve Clemson on upset alert
at Georgia Tech. Also at noon, Wisconsin at number nineteen.
Then at three thirty, well here we go, Number six
Georgia at number fifteen Tennessee. Is the circular sec firing
squad really really kicks in three point thirty? I know

(01:06:10):
you're gonna be into this. The backyard brawl pitt at
West Virginia.

Speaker 1 (01:06:14):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (01:06:14):
Parental guidance suggested for that four to thirty. Number eighteen
South Florida at number five Miami, that's gonna be a
great game. Number sixteen Texas A and M at seven
thirty will play at number eight Notre Dame where you
can now buy Bruskies at Notre Dame Stadium.

Speaker 1 (01:06:29):
Not just church wine.

Speaker 3 (01:06:31):
No, they're finally selling beer. You ever one of those
picnics where they always have beer at.

Speaker 1 (01:06:37):
Those days times?

Speaker 3 (01:06:38):
October seven, Yeah, exactly at seven thirty formerly ranked Florida
at number three LSU the seven forty five, Vandy at
number eleven South Carolina. Check your local listings to ensure
you get nothing done this Saturday. Which game or games
intrigue you the most out of those?

Speaker 1 (01:06:53):
Honestly, Vandy, South Carolina I find really intriguing. Pat forty
has picked Georgia Tech to upset Clemson. I can see that. Yeah,
I could see that as well. You gave me so
many I'm having a hard time remembering what the Georgia Tennessee. Yeah,
that's the one I want to talk about. The athletic
seth Emerson has a breakdown of the fact that Josh
Heipel at Tennessee since he since he's arrived in Knoxville,

(01:07:16):
has enjoyed great success against everybody but Georgia, and the
key being that Georgia stops the run better than anybody
or has stopped the run, which is chaotic as Tennessee's
offense can be, it starts with a strong run game.
We saw that last year when they beat Kentucky. You
see it every week. But Georgia is gifted enough and

(01:07:39):
talented enough in the defensive secondary to play almost entirely
man to man and sell out to stop the run.
Hardly anybody else is good enough to do that in
the SEC So we will see if that happens. Because
yards per play against Georgia Tennessee averages maybe less than
half or about half of what they usually get. So
that's where it starts.

Speaker 3 (01:08:01):
Well, that's Saturday. Let's move on to the next day.
Here their fourth swig. Quite the first week in the NFL.
You and I were talking before we jumped in here.
My Seahawks choked at home to the Niners while your
pack whacked the Lions. Looks really good. Well, your packers
are going to parlay that into Tomorrow night's potential potential
NFC championship game against Washington at Lambeau Tomorrow night on

(01:08:26):
Amazon after eight, and then after that on Sunday will
Games of note for me include my Seahawks at Pittsburgh
and their old geezer quarterback who made AARP proud. Last Sunday,
you got the Bears at the Lions. You got the
Bills at the Jets Super Bowl rematch four to twenty
five Philly at Kansas City. Sunday night's game is Atlanta
at Minnesota. You got two Monday night games this week,

(01:08:48):
Tampa at Houston in the first one, then the Chargers
at the Raiders. A Super Bowl prediction is now loading
for the next swig. But tomorrow night. How you feeling,
mister Packer's stockholder?

Speaker 4 (01:08:57):
You?

Speaker 1 (01:08:58):
I like it because the Commanders are They're on the upswing,
primarily because of their offense. And I really like the
Packers defense, especially now with Michael Parsons. Last year it
was a top three, top five defense. And now of
course even Ben Parsons, by the way, who's nursing that back,
He had to talk his way into more playing time,

(01:09:20):
you know, put me in coach kind of stuff, which
they did and worked out well. Got his first sack
as a Packer. So I do like my chances there. Yeah,
you're boys. They may have a tough time with Pittsburgh
now because that old guy whatever his name is, for
the four touchdown passes. Of course, that was against the Jets.
You know, give us a break and and have just

(01:09:41):
played the Bills out. That'll be uh, that'll be ugly.
But Philly Kansas City should be interesting. Can the Chiefs,
Oh yeah, but can the Chiefs give them a run?
That's gonna be fun. Uh and two Monday night games?
Are you kidding me? Tampa Bay? I think is real?
I really do. And I would love to see the
Chargers make a run this year.

Speaker 3 (01:10:02):
I think you and most of America yes against the
Raiders in this house?

Speaker 1 (01:10:06):
Yeah well yeah, you know, but the Raiders seem to
be for real with Carrol and Gino better than last year.
Oh yeah, absolutely, Fitzwig.

Speaker 3 (01:10:18):
Since nobody asked for my Super Bowl prediction, all the
more reason to give it and see how Vegas responds
in kind. So to recap last year, I was just
a little bit off last year, had the Bengals and
the Lions, with Detroit winning it all, I had to
look good on paper last August. The hell with those
two this year? Now the one sort I've always checked
for decades, Sports Illustrated. They're still in business, fighting the

(01:10:40):
good periodical fight s. I likes Buffalo and Kansas City
in the AFC Championship, then Philly and the Rams in
the NFC Title Game, and then the Super bowls. Sports
Illustrated has the Bills over the Eagles. For me, give
me the Bills and the Ravens in a rematch for
the AFC Championship Game. You're Packers and Eagles in the

(01:11:01):
NFC Championship Game, super Bowl six zero. I'm finally gonna take.
If it doesn't happen this year, I don't know when
it's going to happen. The Marvelous and the Ravens over
the pack I could see that.

Speaker 1 (01:11:14):
I could see my guys getting there. Yeah, they stay healthy.

Speaker 6 (01:11:17):
And I like them.

Speaker 1 (01:11:18):
I like them a lot. Yeah, I mean just base
it's it's far too soon to predict, but that's what
makes it fun. And I agree with the Ravens. The
Ravens should have won that game. Come on against the Bills.
If for another reason, the Bills had zero answers for
Derrick Henry and the run game. Now can they develop
an answer. Here's the other thing too, that the Bills

(01:11:39):
will sail into the playoffs. They've got one of the easiest,
maybe the easiest schedule from here on true in the NFL.
I think I heard someplace where they only play five
teams and made the playoffs last year and rarely leave
the Eastern time zone, which is huge. So yeah, we'll
see the Bills there. But you know, the Ravens will

(01:12:00):
have something for them. By the time they get to
the playoffs. Egles won't be easy, but I think my
guys can get them. I can see your your prediction
holding up.

Speaker 3 (01:12:09):
I like the depth in the Packers.

Speaker 1 (01:12:11):
I really do. Yeah, I do too.

Speaker 3 (01:12:13):
Sixth and final swig Dick. Two media milestones this week,
one to celebrate and the other one to kind of mourn. First,
congrats to you, sir, five decades in this crazy business.
As you've posted on Facebook. It was September thirteenth, nineteen
seventy five when you covered your first UK football game.
Derek Ramsey Cliff Height yep two quarterbacks that day, and

(01:12:34):
of course Derek would go on to guide UK. Let
me say this really loudly and proudly. He guided UK
to an SEC championship.

Speaker 1 (01:12:42):
Right.

Speaker 3 (01:12:43):
The Cats were SEC champions, Peach Bowl win, and onto
a Super Bowl win with the Raiders. However, the other
milestone over here downtown Louisville for the Courier Journal, leaving
their majestic six hundred and sixty thousand square foot Art
deco home of seven five years at six and Broadway Building,
you know very well, a building home to six Pulitzer prizes,

(01:13:05):
WHASTV and radio for many years. The Louisville Times, where
you used to work CJ, is moving down to Main
Street in the number or number one Riverfront Plaza building
this coming Monday. So first, congrats to you on entering
your fifty first year.

Speaker 1 (01:13:21):
Thanks, by the way, which.

Speaker 3 (01:13:22):
Is like nine hundred years in any other profession. I think,
cheers to a building but stood for not only one
of America's top ten newspapers for years and years and years,
but it was truly a symbol of excellence of journalism
and everything else that was inside of it. Twenty four seven,
three sixty five. Did you ever think you would do
five decades in this business? And did you ever think

(01:13:44):
that building at sixth and Broadway would ever be vacated?

Speaker 5 (01:13:48):
No?

Speaker 1 (01:13:48):
To both, I thought maybe, yeah, I last in this business,
But I didn't know it would be basically in one
market for that long. That just doesn't happen, as you know,
and you stayed in LA for so long, that doesn't
happen either. As for the CJ, yeah, it was you know,
I interned at the Times, as you said, I interned
at WHAS which kind of planning the sey Maybe this
TV and radio stuff might be worth looking into. Standard

(01:14:11):
Reviewer was there, which printed a lot of great things,
including the Courier Journal magazine. But so many great journalists,
both broadcast and print, went through those doors. But in
terms of going through the door, the one thing I
remember as an intern, you had to show you your
ID going into the guard I heard a story of
a Courier reporter who held up a picture of a

(01:14:33):
monkey every time he went through. It wasn't his idea
picture of a monkey. Okay, go ahead, So we know
you so much for security. He is Gary moriy Is,
our Western bureau chief. We'll come back with hot reasons
just a minute here around six thirty wlap. Welcome back.
We're talking with Gary moriy As, our West End bureau chief.
We've heard about the hot reds or writer, about the

(01:14:55):
two guys in the six pack. Time to throw a
couple of hot reeds? Yeah, Gary, And my man, you
are a Dodgers fan. Oh do you cover the Dodgers
for quite a while.

Speaker 6 (01:15:04):
We're going to hit this, aren't we.

Speaker 1 (01:15:06):
Yes, we are the Orioles trailed the Dodgers three nothing,
two outs, nobody on in the ninth inning. Recently, Not
only that a no hitter unfolding Jackson, Holiday goes yard
to end Yamamoto's no hit bid, and the Orioles end
up winning the game.

Speaker 3 (01:15:26):
Awful, now, inexcusable, And if you subtract.

Speaker 1 (01:15:32):
The surrounding, this was not a playoff game, this was
not a World Series game. So that said, is this
the worst loss in baseball history? Well, it's the worst
Dodgers loss.

Speaker 3 (01:15:42):
I can tell you that from covering them out there
since nineteen eighty six and watching them even before that
for years. Yeah, it was the worst. Two strikes away
from winning the game and getting the no hitter, and
then Holiday hits that home run, and all of a sudden,
I think he was up to one hundred and four pitches,
one hundred and six, maybe the most he'd ever thrown here,
and I mean he's already thrown two in Japan, so

(01:16:04):
this was not like something foreign to him. He could
probably have stayed in. Roberts took him out, made the mistake,
and Blake trying couldn't find the home plate with a Bloodhound,
and then you got Tanner Scott In giving up the
final defining base hit.

Speaker 6 (01:16:23):
It was.

Speaker 3 (01:16:23):
It was awful, It was terrible, but they came back.
They bounced That's the thing about baseball is it lasts
for a while.

Speaker 1 (01:16:28):
It's stung.

Speaker 3 (01:16:30):
But then they won the next day. Yeah, so it
wasn't like you say, you know, a World Series game
which had really been bad, that would have been the worst.
If that had been the World Series, that would have
been the worst ever. But this was the worst regular
season Dodgers loss. I think without question it was. And
we're paying these relievers a king's ransom, just get one
more out?

Speaker 1 (01:16:49):
Yeah, yeah, all you needed one more out? Well, they
had gotten used to you. I'm a Moto's style and
pitches and all that, and then the next thing you know,
here comes some guys that are serving them up.

Speaker 6 (01:17:00):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:17:00):
So I was stunned when I saw that cross. My
I was awful.

Speaker 3 (01:17:04):
I knew what was going to happen as soon as
he walked. The first guy hit the neck guy, Like, here.

Speaker 1 (01:17:07):
We go our second ottery. The Eagles. Jalen Carter, of course,
spat his way out of the opener with the Cowboys
before one play even happened at the line of scrimmage.
And now we find out his one game suspension is
that game. The NFL has announced that, Yeah, the game
that he was ejected from part of my grammar will

(01:17:31):
serve as his one game suspension. You know, when they
announced a one game suspension, we all assume, well, he's
going to miss the next game. No, he will play
in game number two, and we'll pay a hefty fine
air quotes of his game check Gary fifty seven and
twenty two dollars. Now that's a year's pay for most
or close to it. He won't even feel that. I

(01:17:54):
ask you, did the NFL blow this one?

Speaker 6 (01:17:57):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (01:17:58):
They did.

Speaker 3 (01:17:59):
They hawked up a a bad I'm sorry, Yeah, this
is really bad. But at least you know, he didn't influence,
like say, some college players to do the same thing.
Wait a minute, yeah, the Florida game.

Speaker 6 (01:18:11):
Wait a minute.

Speaker 3 (01:18:12):
Maybe, Yeah, it's funny how that sort of yeah happened.
Sort of after that, that happened as well.

Speaker 1 (01:18:18):
You know what else they worked in that his owner
Drew Rosenhaus and this is why he's one of the
best owners agent.

Speaker 6 (01:18:25):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (01:18:26):
They worked out in agreement with the Eagles so they
would not use the suspension to void any guarantees in
his contract or see signing bonus payment forfeiture. That's what
it's all about.

Speaker 3 (01:18:38):
It is if you're gonna spit on somebody, do it
early on, so you know, sit the rest of the
game and he won't get the next one off. That's
that's what it teaches you.

Speaker 1 (01:18:45):
Yeah, make it pay, and that's exactly what they They
made the spitting pay, but they didn't make the subsequent
fine pay. It's so nasty.

Speaker 3 (01:18:54):
That is just that's just super gross.

Speaker 1 (01:18:56):
Yeah, and I know Dak spit first, but he didn't
spit in his face, right, there's a difference. He is
Gary Moore following him on ex or Twitter.

Speaker 3 (01:19:03):
At at at nine five carries. I'm just thinking they're
still so shocked by it. I have at the whole
Dodger thing and this whole spitting thing is just a
minute at nine five five Gary, where you're at.

Speaker 1 (01:19:16):
I'm at Big Boo and cider one. Have a great weekend.
Same to you, buddy, And that'll do it. Thanks to
my guest tonight, Gary Moore, to Sean Woods the coach,
and of course to Hunter Mitchell. Reminder of Kentucky Eastern
Michigan coming up on Saturday seven thirty kick five thirty, yeartime,
that's a good night from the garage in Lexington.

Speaker 3 (01:19:34):
Just when I think you couldn't possibly be any dumber.

Speaker 6 (01:19:39):
You go and do something like this.

Speaker 3 (01:19:44):
And totally redeem yourself.

Speaker 8 (01:20:00):
Tact tact anything, cannae.

Speaker 1 (01:20:58):
Tact to.

Speaker 8 (01:21:07):
Tips it, don't don't tou