2024-08-08 - BBI

080824 Thursday BEST OF DG on vacation so it’s the Best of the BBI: why root for the Packers? (12:00) sportscaster Rob Bromley; (20:00) Shaq on The Joker; (30:00) Chuck on Caitlin Clark; (38:00) ex-UK OL Max Godby has gear for you; (1:00:00) LEX18’s Kinsey Lee…

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's Stick Gabriel taking a little bit of time off,
so we thought we would replay some of the best
interviews from over the last several months. Please enjoy the
best of the Big Blue Insider. In this segment, we
take you back to night in April when the Tennessee
Balls were in town for a huge baseball series with
the Wildcats. Huge series coming up tomorrow Kentucky Baseball, the

(00:22):
Wildcats taking on Tennessee. According to one poll, number three
versus number four. You'll hear all the games right here
on six thirty. Wlap and Darren'll have pregame tomorrow at
six fifteen, six thirty, first pitch, and I've got to
think that coach Madison, Keith Madison, will be in the
booth at least some of those games, I would certainly hope.

(00:44):
So right next door, Doug Flinn and I will have
it for you on TV, the SEC streaming channel. So
if you can't get out to the ballpark, we urge
you to get out. It's going to be a great weekend.
You can hear it, you can see it, and Kentucky
with a great opportunity to build on its lead in
the SEC East and the overall conference Chase Wildcats have

(01:05):
done remarkably well this year, coming off to win Tuesday
at Louisville seventeen to thirteen. Can you imagine, but now
set your sights on Tennessee. If you're a Wildcat and
everybody knows, it's going to be a crazy night, great crowd,
good weather, atmosphere should be outstanding. They have had that

(01:28):
kind of thing before for Louisville games, for tournament games,
and now with Tennessee coming in, Wildcats want it and
as Nick Menzilm pointed out, the craziness, they want it,
they need it.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
We want that every game, and there's just been a
lot of people that have put in a ton of
work in order for that to happen. When you just
think about that, like in the history of the program,
a regular season game, right, this is number three verse
number four, two teams battling now for the Eastern Division
and the overall conference. And that only happens because there's

(02:04):
been intentional effort by a lot of people from our
administration to build a stadium like this that number one
could even hold that many people, the former players that
have just put their blood, sweat and tears into this program, coaches,
staff members, previous teams. As I mentioned, the players are
this current team. There's just been a lot of people,
staff members that have put a lot of intentional effort

(02:27):
and work into this. So therefore, I mean, I'm excited
and then the big Blue Nation for them to be
able to show up, and it sounds like they're going
to and we got some great weather, so yeah, that
always helps.

Speaker 1 (02:38):
Somebody asks Nick about all of the hype going into
this one and whether or not his players will be
affected by that. You talk about the fact that they
are a veteran bunch, they are mature, and he believes
they can handle it. They can you know, enjoy it,
but use it to their advantage, take care of business pregame,

(03:00):
and make it work for them during the game. So
he's not really worried about player focus.

Speaker 2 (03:05):
Our focus needs to be continue on what we're doing
and that's what made it. That's what made this team
so great. It's not on our opponent. It's not anything
that's going on outside. It's like when we literally have
those blinders on and I think I'm using another horse
keitland still going on right, Yeah, Okay, I mean there's
a reason why those horses have those blinders on is

(03:26):
because they don't need to be distracted and they need
to focus on what's in front of them and not
what's going on around him. And that's how I need
my team to be. And they're mature, they've done it.
But I'll be happy for them. I will say this
to see all the people here and all the fame.
I'll be happy for our players.

Speaker 1 (03:42):
In the Southeastern Conference. You need to take care of
business when it comes to baseball, and by that I
mean win the series at home. Yeah, you love a sweep,
but the bottom line is you got to win two
out of three to protect your home turf. Kentucky has
been sweeping teams this year at home and on the road.
It's just been incredible. The only loss for the Wildcats
fourteen and one in conference play was at Missouri, which

(04:05):
is better than we thought it would be. This year,
the Tigers have pulled off some surprising when including one
over Kentucky. The only win for the only lost router
for the Wildcats in conference play three to two, and
two of the runs for Miszoo came in on wild pitches,
so that's one that got away. Otherwise, the Cats are
undefeated in conference play, but through the last few years

(04:27):
they have struggled. Indeed, with Tennessee. They lose the series
last year in Knoxville, twenty twenty one. In Knoxville they
lose in twenty Of course, twenty twenty didn't play because
of COVID. They are swept in twenty nineteen. They dropped
the series at home in twenty eighteen, but in twenty

(04:52):
twenty two they actually took the series two games to one.
Here in Lexington. He was a Tennessee team that went
on to win forty nine games and hosted a Super
regionally here before they had gone to the World Series.
That Tennessee team hosted a Super Regional but lost in

(05:14):
an upset to Notre Dame. Really great Tennessee team won
something like nineteen out of its first twenty or something
like that. And then you go back to twenty seventeen
and the Wildcats swept the Volunteers. That was Kentucky's first
regional championship team in Nickmnjones' first year. Tennessee is good.

(05:35):
Tennessee could come up here and win this series if
the Wildcats aren't careful. But I think Kentucky's going to
be Razor sharp. Question is can the Cats pull off
two wins this weekend? We're all going to find out together.
So again, Darren Hedrick coming up to talk about that series,

(05:57):
if you will indulge me right here. Kind of a
personal matter, but I just stuff like this just always
kind of confounds me. Yesterday, April seventeenth, was would have
been my father's one hundredth birthday. He was born in
nineteen twenty four in Fairmount, West Virginia. And you may

(06:20):
have heard me talk about this before we lost him.
He's way too young. He died actually on his fortieth
birthday April seventeenth, nineteen sixty four. He had a bad heart.
He had a heart disease when he was a kid.
It damaged his heart. But people have always asked me,
why are you a Green Bay Packers fan? And they
accused me of being on the bandwagon with Brett varv

(06:42):
and all that. In the nineties, said no, no. Since
the early sixties, growing up in Louisville, my dad was
reading the newspaper one day and he mentioned Paul Horneck,
who was one of the Heisman Trophy winner Hall of
Famer Green Bay Packers World champion multiple times, MVP, one

(07:04):
of the greatest ever from Louisville. They wanted him at Kentucky,
you know, the governor tried to get him to come.
Everybody went to not here name anyway, So Horning was
suspended for gambling. Now you've got Johntay Porter dismissed forever
from the NBA for gambling. But Pete Roselle suspended Horning

(07:25):
in the early sixties for gambling. He had to sit
out a year. And my dad was reading about that
and he said, he told me who Horning was, who
he played for, and was from Louisville, and he said,
you should always root for your hometown players. I said, well,
who does he play for. He plays for the Green

(07:46):
Bay Packers. I thought, green Bay Packer. That's a cool name,
green Bay. I bet that's just this wonderful, gorgeous place.
I kind of in my mind pictured like a acup
in Oregon, or you know someplace even something is tropical. No,

(08:06):
I've been there, and that town is right in the
middle of Wisconsin farm country, and you know, it's a
great setting, of course for a pro football team. But
I kept trying for years. I couldn't remember was my
dad telling me about Horning, who was going to be
suspended or was he coming off suspension. I don't know

(08:30):
why I wondered about that, but I did well. Not
long ago I read an autobiography by Paul Horning, and
he talked about when he got the phone call from
Roselle telling him he would be allowed back in the
National Football League. Because Horning said, when he suspended me,

(08:50):
I never knew if I was going to be allowed
to come back. Can you imagine a guy with his
rep his abilities and what hey, he had no idea
what lay ahead of him, you know. But he was
already in the middle of a great pro career and
he thought it might be over. But he got a
phone call. He said, I'll never forget the day that

(09:10):
I got the phone call from Pete Roselle telling me
I was going to be allowed to play in the
NFL again. And as I read, he mentioned the date
April seventeenth, nineteen sixty four, as I said, that was
the day my dad died. So what that tells me, obviously,

(09:31):
is when Dad told me about hornering a year prior,
it was that Horning had just been suspended. I've told
this story to a few people, just the coincidence of
Horning finding out about his future on the day my
father passed away, and people I see them react and
it's nice and they dropped their oh you know. To me,

(09:53):
it's not. It's sad that my dad died when I
was young. I was eight and a half. But it's
a reminder to me that he gave me the Green
Bay Packers. I mean, and I'm on here, I talk
about him, and as I mentioned, I'm a stockholder. My
kids bought me a share of stock. My son is
not a Packers fan because he wanted to root against

(10:16):
the Packers. I was being so obnoxious going into Brett
Favre's second Super Bowl against the Broncos. He rooted for
the Broncos. They win. He'd been a Broncos fan ever since.
I've actually bought him Broncos gear for Christmas. But they
buy me the Sheriff stock makes me an owner and
I have so much fun with that. And people kid
me if the Packers were going back, can't you do

(10:38):
something about that? You know? But as I said, yes,
it was devastating to lose my dad on that day,
but when I look back, I'm right now I have
a coffee cup in my hand with a Green Bay
Packers emblem on it that my daughter gave me. It's
a yetty and she had stenciled on it pops, which
is what actually my kids call me, my granddaughters call me.

(11:02):
And I've got my phone with the Green Bay Packers case.
And yesterday I was wearing Green Bay Packers socks. So
like I said, sad that I lost him on that day,
but before he died, he gave me my allegiance to
the Green Bay Packers. And again it was yesterday that
he would have turned one hundred. You're listening to the
best of the Big Blue Insider. More to come here

(11:23):
on six thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome back to
the Best of the Big Blue Insider, turning us down.
Our celebrity Hodline is a friend and a longtime coworker
WKYT the legendary Rob Bromley, who was enjoying retirement now
and Rob, you and I were talking before we went
on the air. You covered since Joe B. Hall resigned

(11:47):
every other coaching change, and now you can sit back
and just watch what's happening. Now that's gotta be kind
of nice.

Speaker 3 (11:53):
Yeah, it's a little easier, that's for sure, but you
never know what. You never know quite what might be
around the next corner, Dick. And just like on Sunday night,
I was surprised, really stunned by the news of cal

(12:13):
to Arkansas possibly going to Arkansas on the night, and
then I was equally stunned on Thursday night when everything
developed with Mark Pope. So it's surprised me.

Speaker 1 (12:28):
It's entertaining. Speaking of surprise and stunned, I'm gonna take
you back to when Joe Hall announced his retirement. You
broke that story from Denver. I'll never forget when you
called me and said, I think it's gonna happen, And
I think it stunned a lot of people. We had
heard the rumors, remember the year before, but really not

(12:48):
so much that year. We had kind of put it
to rest. But what's that like to be in the
middle of that situation, Because some people think you stuck
your neck out, But after I felt good about it,
After talking to you, I knew kind of who you
were talking to and and and what the situation was.
But what do you remember about that?

Speaker 3 (13:08):
Well, I, you know, I just remember that afternoon and
talking to an individual down in the coffee shop who
simply was able to confirm it without a doubt. And
that person was Joe's security guy. And it all came

(13:31):
up pretty quickly, you know, getting getting a call from
Flexington and then searching it out at the Denver end.
So I didn't anticipate that happening, oh when we went
out to Denver.

Speaker 1 (13:46):
That's for sure, absolutely not. And then I described us
the other night when CBS kept that camera hot, followed
Joe all the way around. You were right there front center.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
You already start to think then about you know, what
what the future is. And it was a busy time
because the Final four was was coming into Lexington the
very next week, so there was going to be an
awful lot going on coaching search in the Final four.

(14:20):
But you know, it just things quickly quickly changed from
earlier on that day and I guess it was a
Friday when when Dave gave me a call and we
started just working at it at the end out in Denver.

Speaker 1 (14:38):
Yeah, and then Eddie Sutton becomes the coach, but not
before things happened, including Loud Olson took the job for
a couple hours. That was weird as well, wasn't it.
It was?

Speaker 3 (14:51):
And you have to be ready for people to turn
you down. Jeene Bartow also the job down, and they
were both very accomplished coaches. Geene Bartow had built a
big record at Memphis and then had gone out to
UCLA and only lost like eight or nine games in

(15:12):
two seasons, and he'd had he left left the West
Coast start of the program at UAB and lud Olson
had been very successful at IOWA, hadn't been in Arizona
that long, but apparently he came in here and just
decided that he'd stay out in Tucson. So but you know,

(15:33):
you bring in still a very accomplished coach and Eddie Sutton,
a coach that could have easily have made it to
the final four or won the championship. In nineteen seventy eight,
came very close to beating Kentucky in the semifinal game
in Saint Louis. It's a very very tense game along

(15:54):
with the regional final and date were both very very
tense games. But you certainly got a, you know, the
very experienced coach and Eddie Sutton, a very very good
one man with a good track record.

Speaker 1 (16:07):
People seem upset when when other coaches turned the job down,
but it's never been a sure thing really until they
got to Cali Perry, right and he I don't know
that he was their first choice because first they asked
Billy Donovan. So it's never a.

Speaker 3 (16:21):
Lot well probably, although I don't know how likely it
would have been that, you know that, I don't think
it that likely that Billy Billy would would come in.
But I think I think Cal wanted the job. Cali
Perry wanted the job two years before, yeah, and definitely
definitely would have come so uh, and then they went

(16:43):
right after the two year experience with Billy Gilisbie, they went,
they went back to Cal and it turned out to
be a you know, a great a great thing. Really.
It's a special time. Certainly you have the final fours
and the postseason success. After twenty fifteen, they're out of

(17:05):
the final fours, you know, and it tails off and
we just start to lose some games that everybody thinks
you should win, and when they get to be postseason games,
it's just it's just pretty damaging. It just kind of
became an untenable situation. Dick with cal talking to.

Speaker 1 (17:23):
Rob Bromley the long time as sports director WKYT in
for many many years produced and anchored the uk TV
Coaches Show in the format there changed quite a bit
through the years, Robin. You know, as we all know,
Caliperi is not nearly as accessible to the media as

(17:44):
other coaches have been. And there were times on that
anchored desk, Rob, where I had to tip my cap
because you were talking to a coach through the years,
different coaches who absolutely didn't want to be there after
a tough loss. But you know, yeah, most of them
dealt with it graciously, didn't they?

Speaker 3 (18:02):
Yes, they did. It's the losses are hard, you know,
you ride the ups and downs and and it isn't easy.
I had some very difficult situations after games and things
handled pretty graciously, things handled not so graciously, but you
over the years you just have to learn to roll

(18:23):
with it. One thing you end up doing, you always
are kind of pulling for the coaches and hoping that
it all you know, that it all comes through. That
isn't always the case, but and I I I certainly
would feel that way about Mark Pope coming in here
to pull for him and wonderful guy Deck. I haven't.

(18:48):
I have not talked to him since he came in
here with Georgia.

Speaker 4 (18:53):
I'm staff.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
Yes, he was on the staff. I think Mark Fox
this is you know, he got into I think he
AAO he went to med school or something.

Speaker 1 (19:05):
Yeah, he was in med school.

Speaker 3 (19:09):
I'm not yet, I'm not sure just how far. But
he went from med school to to Koching and uh,
I guess Georgia was the start of it. And then
you know, I mean he was at I think Wake
Forest right and eventually headed out west. But it's an interesting,

(19:33):
interesting past. Of course, he played played quite a few years.
Just I think he played both of the NBA and
overseas and was drafted fairly. It was a second round pick,
I think, yeah, But I'm not sure how many years

(19:55):
he played, but it seems like there were quite a
few there that that he was playing. Profess.

Speaker 1 (20:00):
Yeah, he started off overseas and then in ninety seven
signed with the Pacers and basically retired after twenty oh
five and bats back over to Europe for a little while.
But yeah, I mean he is an NBA veteran. He's
been where his recruits want to be, you know, in Caliperi,
of course with that great trek record getting people to
the league. But when you can talk to a guy

(20:21):
who's actually played in the league and as you said,
fought his way up from being the second round choice,
fifty second pick overall. But there's a lot going for
I spoke to him, I mentioned earlier on the show
for the nineteen ninety six documentary we did, and I'm
like you, I think he's a terrific guy. Rob Bromley,

(20:42):
the longtime sports director WKYT. Rob, always a pleasure. Hope
you and Diana, well, thank you.

Speaker 3 (20:48):
Yes, doing well. But you know I'm going to leave
the coaching searches to others.

Speaker 1 (20:58):
Sounds sounds like a plan. Thanks man Man, all right,
all right, Dick, they're listening to the best of the
Big Blue Insider. I want to come here on six
thirty WLAP. Hey, it's Dick Gabriel and you're listening to
the best of the Big Blue Insider. NBA playoffs happening,
and there are a lot of former Wildcats in the news,

(21:18):
as you might expect, so many of them making the
league thanks to John Caliperi. But some of the stories
that are out there right now really interesting. Shaquille O'Neill
is catching a lot of what they call backlash now
because he believes Shay Gilgus Alexander should have been the MVP.

(21:40):
And it went last night to Nicola Djokis of the
world champion, reigning champ Denver Nuggets. Now, they're not in
good shape right now in the playoffs, but they named
him the MVP. It's kind of ironic because I was
listening to a Denver radio station guy saying that Jokis
couldn't care less about being the MVP. They said to say,

(22:00):
he's a three times now MVP in four years. They
said the second time he wanted, he asked them not
to present it out on the court in front of
the fans, so they handed him the trophy in the
locker room, just where he was back with his teammates.
They said, when he left the building, he left the
trophy there. He forgot it and somebody had to chase

(22:23):
him down and say, hey man, you left us in
the locker room. So that's what he really cares about,
how much he cares about being the MVP. But fans
have been blasting Shaquille O'Neal, who said this on TNT
when he interviewed The Joker, and he was straight with him.

Speaker 4 (22:42):
You know, I love you, the best player in the league.
I want to congratulate you, but I want you to
hear from me first. I thought the SGA should have
been the MVP. There's no disrespect to you, but congratulations,
and what do you guys have to do to get
back on track versus Minnesota? Thank you, Shan.

Speaker 3 (22:58):
We don't judge people here, you know, so that's fine.

Speaker 4 (23:02):
I'm joking. Hey, all good. I love you, I love
your brothers. One thing we always going to do is
keep it real with each other. Congratulations, I love it.

Speaker 1 (23:12):
So there it is, Shaquille O'Neal. No disrespect, he said
to the Joker, but he believed former Wildcat shake Gilgrish
Alexander should have been the MVP this year. SGA averaged
thirty points per game, five rebounds, six assists, not too cheby.
I thought he might be the MVP, but Joker didn't

(23:34):
win it last year. Then they won the championships, so
maybe some guys are playing catch up with their voting.
So at any rate, uh, Shaquille O'Neal being called a
hater and disrespectful and hates other big men and isn't
going to give this guy's respect. You heard the comment,
Just now make up your own mind. But you know,

(23:54):
I thought it was really interesting that he was quite
outspoken when it came to the former wild SGA should
have been the MVP. I don't watch enough NBA to
weigh in, but I thought it would be pretty cool
if he did. You know, watching the Pacers last night,
they scored seventy three in the first half against the Knicks,

(24:15):
and then the Knicks and all this. You know they
don't play defense in the NBA. Yes, of course they do,
especially in the playoffs. The Knicks hold them to eighteen
points in the third quarter, outscore them thirty six to
eighteen and go on to take the win. Even though
the Knicks are missing Julius Randall, they're missing so many players.
They're down to seven players who have played at all

(24:36):
this year. I mean, they got guys on the roster,
but guys who have played appreciable minutes. Seven players. They're
averaging forty plus minutes per game. They're gonna wear out.
But if you want a rooting interest, of course, you
know the Pacers have Oscar Sheebey. Although he was not
on the active roster last night. If you google the team,
he is. But I had almost forgotten. Isaiah Jackson is

(25:01):
still with the Pacers. He comes off the bench averages
about six and a half points and four rebounds. And
the reason you might not think about him very often
is he played his one season was on that twenty
twenty one team that was terrible. It was John Caliperry.
He's really had a terrible season. Worst ball club. Remember

(25:23):
that team was riddled with injury. I think the guys
who they had planned on being starters at the beginning
of the year played together once. But he was on
that ball club and then was drafted in the first
round by the Lakers and they immediately traded his rights

(25:45):
to the Pacers. But Jackson was a nice player coming
out of high school, as you know, and then declared.
But at Kentucky, that team only played twenty five games.
He played only five hundred and nineteen minutes, scored about
eight points a game six rebounds per game. But again
that team didn't do much. Another Wildcat who made news

(26:08):
for the wrong reasons. We talked about him yesterday. Jamal
Murray was fined one hundred thousand dollars for throwing a
heating pad on the floor during live action. He finally
spoke about it. He said, it is what it is.
I take everything in full responsibility. So on to the next.

(26:28):
And he wouldn't say much about his punishment, whether or
not that was appropriate. He just said, and again, yeah,
on to the next. I mean two days ago. Not
much for me to say about it right now. Not
good and if the officials had seen it, he would
have been suspended. His coach, to his credit, Michael Malone,
to his team, said, guys, where the reigning world champions

(26:50):
act like it and play like it. And I do
appreciate that people are pointing fingers at the Las Vegas
Raiders and the former Wildcat is trying to clean things
up there. Defensive Bacterian Arnold, who was drafted by the
Detroit Lions, claims that the Raiders head coach Antonio Appears,

(27:12):
told him it was literally a coin flip between him
and Georgia tight end brock Bowers at pick number thirteen.
He told a podcast, the Raiders coach called me after
the draft and said, we actually had a coin toss
between you and brock Bauers that landed on him and

(27:35):
Champ Kelly, the former wide receiver slash defensive back, is
the Raiders assistant general manager, and somebody asked him about
the comment last night. He said, I can't confirm that
at all. He sitarian's a good player, excited to watch
his career and see him play. Said, but we drafted Brock.
We're excited to get him here. I don't think anyone

(27:57):
else in our whole draft room felt any other way.
Now can't confirm isn't exactly no way that happened. And
I also think it's interesting. Champ Kelly is the guy
being quoted right now, the former Wildcat. We're listening to
the best of the Big Blue Insider or to come
here on six point thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel. Welcome

(28:18):
back to the Best of the Big Blue Insider. I
wanted to share with you a couple of things you
just heard about the Wildcats and their big win earlier today. Well,
standing with baseball the LA Dodgers in Chavez Ravine, if
you're sitting up high, you can see across the expanse

(28:40):
of the parking lot, and last night a fan was
added near the top of the stands looked out and
saw smoke. Really, anybody in the ballpark saw it. But
this particular fan shot video of would appear to be
a car fire, and he got bigger and bigger. I mean,
if you've ever seen a car fire, you know, with
the fuel, the gas, the oil, the fluids, the rubber

(29:02):
on the tires, it can burn spectacularly and generate tons
of smoke, which this did. All right, Well, that happens
something within that car ignited in the car caught fire
and burned and burned. Who else noticed besides thousands of fans.

(29:23):
The Dodger organist Deter Rule, and in fact, my buddy
Gary Moore sent this to me. He of course, is
our Western bureau chief who covered the Dodgers for many
years while he was in Los Angeles. But he says,
Dieter has an enormal, enormous musical rolodex in his brain.

(29:46):
And he says, the TV announcers make an obscure band reference,
and the next thing you know, a few seconds later,
he's fire enough notes from one of their songs. So
what does he play when he sees the smoke and
the car on fire? Listen to this good evening and

(30:43):
welcome to Dodger See that's right. We didn't start to
fire Deeter rule. The organ is very very clever. How
about that. One other note on the Dodgers, Walker Bueller
is back, or at least trying to come back. According
to a story on Dodgersway dot com, he has been
quote butting heads with the Dodgers over his injury recovery.

(31:08):
Made his third start of the year Saturday, when six scoreless,
gave up only three hits, no run, struck out seven
in the Dodgers win over Cincinnati. But after the start
he told reporters, and I'm quoting, I finally have to
start listening to people, not just doing whatever I want
all the time, which seems to acknowledge the fact that

(31:29):
Bueller and Dodgers' management were clashing over his recovery period,
his rehab, and his schedule. This is after two Tommy
John surgeries for the election and native staying with baseball.
Back to the SEC tournament. Kyle Peterson, who's a good analyst,

(31:50):
paired up with Tom Hart, who's a really good play
with play guy, and he's been on our show before.
They got to talking. During a down period of the
Tennessee Vandy game, which had become at and if you
watch the SEC tournament at all, I mean beyond Kentucky games.
And even if you're watching Kentucky and it turns into
a route like the LSU game, did, you can get

(32:10):
a little punchy. I mean, I did Neil Price, and
I did radio for two three years all the games,
and you can get a little punchy. Well, Heart and
Peterson began to talk for some reason about avocados, and
Peterson made a startling admission to Tom Hart. Can I
be like brutally honest with it again? I didn't know

(32:31):
avocado's growing trees until right there. But what your guessing?
I was like a bush or something rub?

Speaker 4 (32:36):
An avocado shrub?

Speaker 1 (32:38):
You want to plant those avocado vines? Yes, it's like
a potato.

Speaker 5 (32:44):
What did be fair?

Speaker 1 (32:44):
When's the last time you had a good piece of
avocado toast.

Speaker 5 (32:50):
Last week?

Speaker 1 (32:53):
That's not so stunning, I mean, how many people know
avocado's growing trees, you know? But it was interesting that
he thought it it grew on a vine like a potato.
So they kept talking about it, and Peterson borrowed the
phone of I guess the assistant director there in the booth, Kenny,
Kenny Dunlap, and they googled a picture, brought up a

(33:15):
picture of an avocado. They just put in I guess avocado.
And according to Peterson, it looked like it was a bush.
And apparently they pulled it up through the Amazon website.
I mean it looks like a shrub.

Speaker 4 (33:29):
Actually, I think I us right, Kenny, can't show them
your phone.

Speaker 1 (33:33):
Is there anything?

Speaker 5 (33:33):
It's not gonna explode or anything.

Speaker 1 (33:35):
Then that looked like a shrub.

Speaker 5 (33:37):
Yeah, it looks like a shrub.

Speaker 1 (33:38):
You should should buy an avocado tree only seventy one bucks.

Speaker 5 (33:41):
You can get it delivered it, Kenny.

Speaker 1 (33:43):
You don't care to do it? It's prime, it's great.
Who cares?

Speaker 4 (33:46):
It's like these are like casino chips.

Speaker 1 (33:48):
They don't even really count.

Speaker 5 (33:49):
Okay, add to Kart. No buy now, let's buy now.

Speaker 1 (33:52):
Ye get it here immediately.

Speaker 5 (33:54):
We can get it here.

Speaker 1 (33:54):
Actually, we should have an avocado tree in the food Okay.
If they ordered that tree and had it delivered, I
will promise you you will see it as you. I
don't know what game, maybe every game, I don't know,
maybe just a game the next time Peterson and Hart
worked together. But if that tree is delivered to the

(34:14):
ballpark and they had a street address for it. You'll
see that. I promise you they'll put that on the
SEC network. Maybe Chris Burke and Dave Neil will have it,
but I'll promise you if that thing shows up, you'll
see it on coverage of the SEC tournament. All right.
Moving over to the NBA, really to the WNBA, because

(34:35):
this popped up on inside the NBA, and as you know,
I love pulling off clips from Charles Barkley talking about whatever,
and he came out last night in support of Lebron James,
who had come out in support of Caitlin Clark. Lebron
James made remarks about the expectations on Caitlin Clark's shoulders

(35:00):
her advice via social media, and this was in response
to some of the criticism that Caitlin Clark has gotten
or some of the attitude she's gotten from veteran players.
Diana Tarossi was the first to do it, and now
there's backlash to Lebron and Charles Barkley from some players
whoman saying, and I'm paraphrasing, why haven't more people been

(35:23):
excited about the WNBA before? Why does it take Caitlin
Clark to do this, and I would think the underlying
theme there is she's white and most of the other
players are black. Well, I will say this, there are
tremendous players in the WNBA and who came through the
college ranks, but how many of them lit it up

(35:47):
like Caitlyn Clark. She became college basketballs when you factor
in and it's not the same, I know. But she
made headlines as Pete Maravich. She made lines scoring in
the women's game the way Pete Merriviage scored in the
men's game. You cannot touch Pete marrivitage. I'm sorry you can't.

(36:08):
No three pointer. Only played three years varsity ball. But
Caitlyn Clark created the conversation. But what else has she
done lately? Well, now they're gonna fly charter because I
have a flute charter. So Charles Barkley went to bat
through Lebron for Caitlyn Clark last night on Inside the

(36:29):
NBA on TNT.

Speaker 5 (36:31):
I gotta give Lebron a shout out of something I
read on Bleacher Reports. That's the only thing I do.

Speaker 4 (36:36):
Oh, I love bature reporting.

Speaker 5 (36:39):
That's it. You are, let's spand your horizons. No, I
don't want to hear, but he tell man, I've been
looking at his camera right here, eighty three you women
out there, no pity man, Hey, Lebron, you a hunted
per say it right on. These girls hate known Caitlyn Clark.

(37:00):
Y'all petty girls. I expect being to be petty because
we're the most insecure group in the world.

Speaker 4 (37:06):
You are, y'all should be.

Speaker 5 (37:07):
Thinking that girl for getting y'all ass private charters, all
the money and ben's the village she bringing to the
Jemmy NBA. Don't be petty like dudes. Listen what she's accomplished,
y'all flowers, Stop being petty, all you women out there.

Speaker 1 (37:22):
She got y'all ass chatters.

Speaker 5 (37:24):
She bringing all y'all is money to the table. For
y'all being penny like dudes. The crime you're one hundred
percent right, y'all girls, Scott Beam, Petty Caylean Clark, they
keep for bringing all that money and should shine to
the jump NBA.

Speaker 4 (37:39):
Well, they gonna hate you even more. Hey, listen, they
can't do anything to me. They're gonna hate you, Hey,
they can't. They can't hate on me.

Speaker 5 (37:46):
That's when that male man better be at my damn
house the first in the fifteen show for another year,
for another year.

Speaker 1 (37:52):
Reference. I guess to Charles contract, you know, and he
can follow the rights if they if the NBA GHEs
to NBC. But he's right, of course, and he is
always talking about everybody does about Tiger Woods and the
fact that golfers today are making buckets, oh cash, oh

(38:13):
a great deal of thanks now and forever to Tiger
Woods because the purses and TV ratings skyrocketed when Tiger
was at his zenith, so everybody benefits. Even when Tiger
doesn't win. The purse at the end of the rainbow
on the eighteenth green is huge because Tiger was playing
for it and it'll stay that way. So how do

(38:36):
you feel about women's basketball and Caitlin Clark? Yeah, there
are great athletes in the WNBA, but like it or not,
it was Kaitlin Clark who brought the eyeballs, brought the
attention and now, hey, among other benefits, you get fly charter.
I'll bet the salaries go up as well. You're listening
to the best of the Big Blue Insider. Our number

(38:56):
two is next year on six thirty WLAP. It's stick

(39:37):
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 joining us on our celebrity hotline
is a longtime friend that is show. In fact, he
was a regular until life happened to Max Gotby. He
has moved on. He is over in Louisville now a

(39:59):
Louisville native and a former football wildcat. Once a Wildcat,
always a Wildcat. How are you, sir, Dick.

Speaker 6 (40:05):
I'm doing great, man. It's it's like I was telling you,
it's kind of nice of being back on the WLAP
airwaves as as as a friend, not as a competitor.

Speaker 3 (40:16):
So it's great to.

Speaker 1 (40:17):
Be back with you. You can hear Max in Louisville
and ESPN six point eighty and our buddy Drew Diner
every now and then checks in from over there. But
before we talk football and life in general, Max, you
told me you're looking for a shameless plug, and I
really like what you sent me. Tell everybody what you're
into now when you're not running your regular life and

(40:38):
talking on the radio, you're moving some merch.

Speaker 6 (40:42):
Well, yeah, so I am. I'm currently the co host
of a roundtabled Round Daddy with James Streebol, which James
Streebow and I are the only voice of UK Athletics
in the heart and belly of Louisville, Kentucky. I mean,
we literally record on Louisville campus. And Streebel has always

(41:02):
been one that is the guy that will rattle the cages.
He's the one that is the most probably divisive voice
in Louisville, Kentucky with his hot takes on PK the
new coach at Louisville, and then of course Brahm and
all that. And he and I really sat down the

(41:22):
start back in the winter and he decided, you know,
is he really going to continue to be just this
divisive person in Louisville. And he said, of course I am.
In fact, I'm going to be worse, and he's going
to do that with one snarky T shirt of a time.
He is actually with me kind of helping on the
operations side develop Round Daddy T's which is louisville first

(41:46):
ever kind of trash talk T shirt and merchandise line.

Speaker 1 (41:51):
So you got not just UK shirts, but U of
L shirts as well on that site, UK and U
of L.

Speaker 6 (41:58):
The one thing that UK fans and UVEL fans have
in common, it's just as a stain for one another.
And to buy a shirt that either trash talks Kentucky
or trash talks Louisill, they will jump in the bit.
We've done testing with it, We've had focus groups on it,
and every single one of them it's like it just

(42:18):
something that was just strictly Louisville. It was like, okay, Kentucky, Okay,
wait it's bashing Louisville or it is bashing Kentucky. Yes,
this is what I want. And we're partnering with a
great group in Louisll, Kentucky called tax Flag. It's a
local company in Louisville, Kentucky, and they are a great group.
So the biggest thing we want to do is make

(42:39):
sure it's somehow better the state and bettered the city
that both me and him currently live in as well.
So it goes you're supporting local when you buy from
Round Daddy Teas, and it's again it kind of just
brings them full circle, this bluegrass rivalry.

Speaker 1 (42:56):
And as you said, these are snarky shirts. These are
not go Catch Go cards, fancy artwork, whatever, it's things
people say to each other. Describe a few of the
shirts because they're really unique.

Speaker 6 (43:11):
Yes, So, I mean we we've even come into doing
game specific merch as well. So you know, with all
the games of the Gauntlet of the SEC schedule this
year versus the the ACC schedule and the kind of
new things that are going on there. We've got several
different lines for like for South Carolina. For the South

(43:31):
Carolina game that we've got Shane Biember's dorky biker glasses
that he wears that are shattered that says vengeance because
we're on a vengeance tour against South Carolina right now.
You've got you've got the Kentucky Special for when we
play against Florida, which is a feature of a smoke
Gator with a smoker and chef boy Ord just giving
a chef's hits, or and how we're going to beat
the Gators again. You have the introduction for uh introduction

(43:57):
of Texas into the SEC, especially having to play Kentucky.
One thing Kentucky fans know how to do is to
take a hand signal and make fun of it. So
you've got your Forever Horns down and L's down shirts.
They'll be ready for the Texas game as well. And
you may be a louisvill fan as well. Louisville fans,
we've got your notre bum shirts. We've got a Louisville

(44:18):
Vice shirt for when they play against Miami. And we've
got a startup for also for our basketball season with
Mark Pope centric merch that's going to be of course
making fun of pack Pack Kelsey and you know how
he's the size of a leprechawn. He steals shoes from
people and videos and then the new video he put

(44:40):
out of his Reviveill is going to be a whole
shirt line in itself. But we've also got a vintage
line as well that's going to really embrace kind of
the old vintage look, the vintage swag of the day,
which is still a very popular style look we've got.

(45:00):
We've got a collegiate line as well, that's like, you
know what, maybe Dick Gabriel, you want to have gone
gone d one in football, I bet you would have
gone d one in pickleball or you know, beer pong.
We've got that line as well. We've got a collegiate
champion line for our grillers, our smokers, our pickleball players,

(45:22):
beer pong. I mean, we've really thought of every single thing.
But it's a it's a great line of shirts. The
website goes live accepting orders August first, but you can
go ahead and get online now take a look at it.
Go ahead, get your wishless ready for want to hit
midnight on August first to be able to place those orders.

Speaker 1 (45:42):
I was looking to say, your vintage line, Yeah, you're right.
The You know, you've got the block k shirts and
sweatshirts that people absolutely love, and the and the mesh
back caps. You got the profile of the Louisville Cardinal,
which I remember. You've got one of the really old
school looking I don't know if it's old school, but

(46:04):
just wildcat heads on a T shirt that just has
lex under or sweatshirts. How did you come up with
the artwork?

Speaker 6 (46:13):
Honestly, it's really from just the skin of my teeth.
I took a lot of a lot of help was
from my wife, she who would have thought a political
science major, was actually really good at computer on doing
designs on the computer.

Speaker 2 (46:29):
Wow.

Speaker 6 (46:29):
It was it was concept that Streebel and I drew up.
Of course, we went infringe on any sort of copywriting things.
So it's like, okay, so how do we make these
look unique to themselves? And just in conversation with my wife,
she goes, well, why don't you do it like this?
I was like, that looks really good. How'd you do that?

Speaker 3 (46:47):
He goes, I don't know.

Speaker 6 (46:48):
And so we found out that she's able to design
T shirts now, so of course she's now joined join
our staff as well, helping us with that. But it's
and also just a lot of fan input and I
think this is what's been the biggest thing of it.
And I think especially being in Louisville, you have UK
and UFL fans both that listen to our shows. We

(47:10):
talked trash about Louisville, at least I am. I'm fair
with criticism Kentucky and Screabull may not be, but you've
got enough for these fans that are on opposing side
that come up with ideas. And we talked to a
few of the listeners of the shows on what they
would like to see and they've brought some great insight

(47:30):
on it, and a lot of them is what we
can help develop that vintage line.

Speaker 1 (47:36):
Talking to Max Godbee, former Kentucky offensive lineman who in
fact played five different positions at UK. We'll talk football
here in a minute, but we're talking right now about
Round Daddy ts dot com. If you go and start
scouting the merch on there, fanning the flames of the
bluegrass rivalry one snarky shirt at a time, and he

(47:58):
and James Streeble from me being six eighty over in Louisville,
serving both UK and U of L fans, and yeah, there,
you're gonna have a hard time, I can tell you this.
Folks deciding right Max on what they want, not just shirts,
but hats and accessories and all that stuff.

Speaker 6 (48:16):
It's everything. And especially there's there's a ladies line as
well that my wife and Streebel's wife helped design as well.
The vintage line is extremely great. And then of course
the Round Daddy tea's just features as well, which featured
jokes from the show, a lot of stuff, because you know,

(48:36):
James Streebel is such a sex symbol that we had
to put him on a T shirt as well, So
him in goldfing at cheeseburger, him and his like goofy
Catholic dad looked that he carries around with him most
of the time. And as well. One of my favorite
shirts actually, or one of the favorite lines on here
is actually the Comfort Colors line, which is, I kid

(48:59):
you not, is probably the most comfortable clothing I've ever worn.

Speaker 1 (49:04):
I found this.

Speaker 6 (49:05):
I found this group out in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
They do all of a Salty Dog t shirts, okay,
and the hoodie and so I saw their stuff, and
so when we came up with this idea, I called up,
I said, we've got to get Comfort Colors. It's a
it's basically your favorite old South T shirt or favorite
old hoodie. We tried to put as many of those

(49:27):
designs onto them as well. It's got a great faded look.
It's great as a lazy hoodie. It's great for like
a those little bit heavier, colder fall day. It's a
it's a great line up.

Speaker 1 (49:39):
I got to tell you, it's really impressive what you
guys have put together. And folks, especially you fans who
have been clamoring for the return of the old school
of block k, you're gonna like what you see you there,
So check out rounddaddy ts dot com and support business
in the state of Kentucky. Yeah, it's in Louisville, but look,

(50:00):
there are a million UK fans in Louisville. Don't forget
about that. We're talking to Max Godby, former football wo Okay,
we'll come back and talk actual football. 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. Max Godby
as my guest. You might recall Max used to be

(50:21):
a regular on this show. He and his wife now
living in Louisville and he's on the air on ESPN
Radio six point eighty over there flying the UK flag.
I was thinking about this and I may ask Mark
Stoops Max this question if I get a chance to down,
I may wait before you know, if I'm down at
the SEC meetings, it would it would do a disservice,
I think to everybody else. But when there's time to

(50:43):
answer this question, I would love to hear him, and
I think I know what he's saying. But let me
ask you the same question. Because you were there in
the early days of the Mark Stoops era, helping to
build a foundation literally as an old lineman, as an
early player. Why has he and the staff why have
they been so successful? And I know it's a relative term,

(51:05):
but relative to UK football the past, why has UK
football been successful over the last decade?

Speaker 6 (51:13):
I think it all comes down to consistency and that
is probably the number one thing I can say about
coach Stupes. There's a lot of positives about Coach Stoops.
He's been a great coach, he's been a great a
great resources State. But I think it's this mentality of
understanding what his niche is within the sec of being

(51:38):
the blue collar team, run first mentality and really knows
to the grindstone mentality, but then also building on success
and slowly adapting his style because the Mark Stoops style
of twenty twenty four and what the UK football team
looks like when it comes to just philosophically, what this

(52:00):
team looks like is completely different than the team back
in twenty thirteen or twenty fourteen. From a defensive philosophy
where he came in as a four to two defense.
That's what he cut his teeth on as a defensive
coordinator at Florida State. Now really diving into the three
to two and basically all that started when he had

(52:21):
Bud Dupree and Zadarius Smith really dived into a three
to two and a three to four, really focusing more
of having a really sturdy defensive lineman in the middle
and then really athletic ends on the edges that are
able to be stand up and then able to get
into coverage and then causing chaos for offensive lineman. And
I think as well from an offensive perspective, you've seen

(52:43):
where they developed from the Neil Brown air raid to
Eddie Grand run first spread style offense, to go into
a pro style with Liam Cohen. Unfortunately with s Gangarello
didn't really turn out well. And then the second tent
of Liam Cohen there is issues that had happened, and
now you're seeing that he's adapting again to a Bush

(53:04):
Hampden style offense, which at Boise State is not really
the same style as.

Speaker 3 (53:10):
Kay has run for the past three years. Right, it's
going to be.

Speaker 6 (53:13):
It's gonna be a very run first, it's still a
spread has a little bit of a pick me up
as well. I don't know what Hamden is going to
bring from Boise to Kentucky. We had a very vanilla
spring practice that really didn't give away a lot. But
you think of the elements of bringing in really your
first true quarterback that is a running threat. You can

(53:34):
make the argument that Will Levis was as well Stephen Johnson.
Those were more attributes that they had. Vander Griff has
the ability of being a running quarterback, not comparing him
to a Cam Newton or a Tim Tebow, but more
of that being able to be a read option quarterback.
So it's going to be very interesting to see how
this offense evolved and again, gradually evolving and bringing that

(53:58):
consistency has been shoots a success and you know.

Speaker 1 (54:00):
What's fascinating about that, and I agree with you, But
one of the things that has been consistent with him,
as you say, has been changed. You know, he has
brought in OC's and gotten rid of him after a
year more than once. As you said, he's changed defenses,
defensive styles, offensive styles. But I think the fact that

(54:22):
he and Merrow and other coaches he's brought in, they
play such a high premium as well any coach should
in the SEC, especially on recruiting and then development Max
and I think that has just been done here at
Kentucky as well as it ever has.

Speaker 6 (54:41):
I even taking one step further, I think it's just
the recruiting yet Marrow and Stoops. The way that they've
won the state of Ohio, they've won the Midwest is
something that we've never seen before. I couldn't tell you
how many dudes. I think we only had two guys
from Ohio when I was playing before Stops got there,

(55:01):
Kevin Eatman and Tyler Browsey. I think that was basically it.
Then all of a sudden the next year had the
teams from Ohio. It's like, who are these guys? Whur
all these guys coming from? But I think, even taking
a step further, it's their ability to win the transfer
portal as well, which plays into their ability on recruiting
to where a player decides to leave us, not to

(55:25):
commit to a different school instead of Kentucky and instead
of them just going, well, burn a bridge with them.
It's an open door when if it does not, I
wish for the best that it works out for you,
but if it doesn't, you.

Speaker 3 (55:38):
Have a home here.

Speaker 6 (55:39):
And the amount of guys that we have lost and
then have come back to play with us for the
back half of their year shows that style of recruiting,
of keeping that open palm, not pressuring kids, making them
pick the decisions on their own. Ultimately they come back
to you, and that is a huge testament tomorrow and

(55:59):
stoops and then also just seeing the amount of guys
that don't leave, especially big time players that are not leaving.
It makes no sense for Dion Walker to still be
at Kentucky in this world of nil And it's because
he's saying it's because of the development that he gets
from the defense Brad White and his staff, and then
the relationship with Marrow and students and.

Speaker 1 (56:21):
A pretty sweet nil Dal.

Speaker 6 (56:23):
I'm sure yes, that's probably helps out as well.

Speaker 1 (56:27):
Max got you a few minutes left of the former
UK offensive lineman. You touched on something I found really
interesting when you mentioned the dns or slash linebackers, the
Josh Allen's the bud duprees. When you look at a
four to three, a classic four to three, you need
those war daddies on the edge, and as you well know,
because you try to block them, they're really hard to find.

(56:50):
But if you get a hybrid athlete, Josh Allen was
a receiver for crying out aladd in high school. But
when you get those hybrid players and you can developed them,
coach him up, feed him, put them in the weight room.
Now they're guys who can set the edge, drop back,
rush the quarterback, do everything you need him to do. Again,

(57:10):
not easy, but is it more manageable? Is that the
better word when it comes to recruitment and development? I
think so.

Speaker 6 (57:17):
I mean you, let's put in perspective. Bud Dupree came
into Kentucky as a as a tight end, and then
they moved they moved him the linebacker. Then then he
put on forty pounds that became a stand up in
and became just a monster. Funny story. We just had
JJ Weaver in studio, probably about two weeks ago, and

(57:38):
when he when he was in, I uh, when I
walk in, I was running a little bit behind, and
I walk in and he takes he encompassed the entire
door frame. And I still have a larger sized frame,
but I'm nowhere to the size that I used to
be where I was playing right And the PTSD nick

(58:00):
that hit me of like this dude could take it
at his arms are so long he could push me
in the chest and put me right into Jalen Whitlow
and it's like it all came back for a second.
I'm like, dude, I'm glad I don't have to block you.

Speaker 3 (58:14):
Good night.

Speaker 6 (58:16):
But it speaks to JJ Weaver's development at UK as well,
and just a Corey Edmund and that stet have found
a niche of being able to take guys like that
that come in skinny, that come in with a good frame,
but they're kind of lanky, and just turning them into monsters.

Speaker 1 (58:34):
Yeah, I'm just about out of time. I love talking
football with you, as you know, so I'm going to
have to bring you back. But let me finish up
with this The Big Blue Wall. I know how much
you thought of John Schlarman. The Big Blue Wall really
suffered over the last couple of years. Showed some improvement
last year. Are you optimistic this year and again new
offensive coordinator? But what do you think we're going to see?

(58:57):
Because you were part of it for a long time.

Speaker 6 (58:59):
I think it's the biggest thing you're gonna have to do.
And I'm hoping that Bush Hampden's able to adapt. This
is bringing some simplicity to the officive line blocking seam,
and I think that was a huge component that was
extremely confusing. I think Scangarello made it really bad when
he was here, and I don't think Liam Cohen may
have made it a little bit better, but I still
think it was a little too complex for just the

(59:21):
experience that that those guys had. But I think just again,
you go through that type of wear and care of
two seasons. Now you've got a pretty veteran group now
at this point that has been able to see some
things that it's been not great, but at least it's
been time that you've been able to see and I'm
hoping that Wolfe is able to put these guys in

(59:44):
the position to succeed. He could coach officsive lines like
the best of them. He took a offsive line at
Alabama that was not the strongest that they've ever had
and still turned that group into Maler's turned them into
extremely disciplined players. So I really have faith that he's
going to be able to adapt that off of the
line to where it's a off of the line of

(01:00:06):
old when Foreman was coaching.

Speaker 1 (01:00:07):
Again, here's Max Godbe, former Kentucky O lineman. You hear
him on the radio in Louisville and ESPN six' eighty
and he and James Streeble have produced Rounddaddy ts dot com.
Check it out. You will love the merchandise and really
dig into a click on to one of the shirts
that'll take you to a specific page. And I'm telling you,
if you're a fan of the block K, they got

(01:00:29):
something for you. But there's all kind of you're gonna
have a hard time making up your mind, Max, which
is a good thing. So you'll have to come back
on later in the summer and talk more football.

Speaker 3 (01:00:39):
I absolutely would love to.

Speaker 6 (01:00:41):
And again it's round Daddy T dot checkout stores dot com,
so we had to add we had to add the
checkout stores, but you could also follow it on Twitter
at at round Daddy T's on Twitter or f you're.

Speaker 1 (01:00:54):
Listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider More
to come here on six thirty w LAP. Hey, it's
Dick Gabriel and you're listening to the best of the
Big Blue Insider. Joining us now is someone you know
from WL e X and BBN tonight and that's Kinsey
Lee who this week's covering a lot of golf. But Kenzie,
I'm gonna talk basketball and football and baseball with you.

(01:01:16):
You cover it all. Yeah, listen, when the SEC meetings
crank up next week, a lot of people from Oklahoma
are going to be there because the Sooners will be there.
You're an Oklahoma state girl. How weird is this going
to be for you to cover a conference that again
has the Sooners in it.

Speaker 7 (01:01:37):
I mean yeah, I think the last time we talked,
what did I say, just when I think I can
get rid of Texas to Oklahoma, I can't? They just
follow me. But I mean, listen, that's why I wanted
to come to Kentucky was to cover the SEC. So
that's what makes me the most excited. I mean, yeah,
I'm excited to see familiar faces at SEC media days. Absolutely,

(01:01:58):
with Texas and Oklahoma joining. But let's just say, am
I for the expansion? It's like yes to know? I mean,
you know me, I have mixed emotions being a passionate
Oklahoma Salem. Is it exciting to know that os Who's
going to get a chance to dominate the Big twelve
like they never had before, especially the season with the
amount of guys they have returning. Absolutely, but you know

(01:02:19):
that excitement is a little painted knowing Texas to know
you is part of what made the Big Twelve relevant.
And I'm kind of one who wants every conference to
be relevant because that's a mixed college football fun and unexpecting.
But I will say, for someone who's followed OU in
Texas throughout the years, being from Oklahoma, I mean, my
last station I was in Texas, these fan bases are

(01:02:40):
going to be brutal, honestly, a lot like, if not
very similar to the passion of BBN. So I think
it's gonna be really fun to watch and see how
this all pans out. And I know, the last time,
you know, we talked about the expansion. You know, I
ain't broke, don't fix it, right, But I think it's

(01:03:04):
hard to argue against the fact. And Coach Toupe said
this last year at SEC media Days that bringing in
oh you in Texas and the history and the heights
that surrounds these programs, it's just going to elevate, you know,
the SEC to what it already is, which is the
conference to be the conference everyone wants to talk about.
I kind of compare the SEC to the Dallas Cowboys.

(01:03:25):
You know, you love them or you hate them, but
either way, you're talking about them, right, yea, and we
know everyone in the SEC is crucial. So I think
the biggest thing this year with the amount of talent
and the leade competition in your face. Now adding Texas
in Oklahoma, it just makes those wins that much more important,
especially when you're talking about the playoff expansion this year.
So Texas I think is obviously going to pose more

(01:03:47):
of a threat than Oklahoma this season. I think Oklahoma's
going to struggle, especially when you look at their schedule.
But Texas, obviously with the amount of momentum, they're coming
off of the foundation that the Sakisian has made, the
recruiting he has said he's taken over three years ago.
I'm looking forward. I think we're all looking forward to
Texas versus Kentucky at the end of the regular season.

(01:04:09):
I don't think I'm gonna be going to that one,
but man, I wish I could be. But I actually
I actually remember asking Jane Walker a while back doing
the preseason which games he was most looking forward to,
and of course that's right. Oh yeah, Texas is number
I'm number one on that list.

Speaker 1 (01:04:22):
So yeah, you know something, I've heard a lot of
talk obviously, and you'll be silly not do to talk
about how much tougher it's going to be to advance
in the SEC now. But I don't think I've heard
people talk about the fact and this is not a
slide of the Big twelve, but it's going to be
a lot tougher for Texas and Oklahoma, isn't it. People
think that they're going to slide right in and then

(01:04:43):
you know, take their duly appointed spots at or near
the top of the league. But yeah, they've bitten off
a big chunk, haven't they Listen.

Speaker 7 (01:04:54):
I Like I said before, knowing Texas know you fans, do,
I think that they're going to be coming in with
a lot of entitlement. Yeah, but I think I think
Texas is probably I mean, looking at both of their schedules,
I mean, I think Texas is gonna do pretty pretty decent,
but oh you, I think it's just gonna really struggle.
I mean, you open up SCC played with Tennessee, Texas,

(01:05:16):
Alabama LSU I it with Brent Bennables. I feel like
he's still trying to search and find the foundation and
identity of this team. And I mean, you're losing Dylan
Gabriel to the portal. So not a lot of guys
are turning on offense. I mean, they have a solid defense,
but I think I think the first year in the
SEC will not be kind to them. I was surprised
me if Texas doesn't do you know, pretty well. But

(01:05:38):
I think it's going to be a hard slap in
the face for sure. That's why I'm excited to see it,
because you know, I'm an Oklaima State fan, so I'm like,
let's go.

Speaker 1 (01:05:44):
Yeah, Yeah, it's gonna be an interesting not not really
a lab experiment, but it's gonna be interesting to see
all this unfolds and just capping with football before I
move on. Mike Gundhy Oklaoma State coach. He's been there
for a long time and he's had a lot of
success twelve bul wins. But he's best known, of course

(01:06:05):
for his rant when he yelled, I'm a man on
forty What what does he really like to deal with?
Because he was clearly vocal and passionate that day as
he defended one of his players.

Speaker 7 (01:06:17):
Yeah, I mean that's why we all love Mike Gandy.
And again I go back to sometimes you love him
or you hate him, But Mike Gandhy well one first
and foremost, like he's always going to be loyal and
no matter what, we're never going to get rid of them,
even if we want to get rid of him because
of the times we can get upset with, you know,
the way some things are unfolding. But Gandhi is just

(01:06:39):
He's one. I think he's just a very humble guy,
you know, I think humility. I think, yeah, he is.
I mean, I know it's hard to say that with
the way he comes across sometimes in the media, but
I think it's sort of like a humble confidence, which
I think is important to have in sports, you know,
the way that you portray yourself, because I think you
need to be confident. I mean, I think with Gundhi,
he always had to put up that guard, in that

(01:07:00):
wall of going against teams and fan bases like you know,
Oklahoma throughout the day because that's what he's wanted Oshu
to be. He's built his program to be consistent in
the Big twelve, but to be relevant and to be
known for people to talk about them. I mean, growing
up being an Oklahoma State fan, you would watched the
media and the SEC network or college game there or

(01:07:21):
whatever it is, and you're always just like, man, I
just wish they were talking about Oklahoma State more because
I remember that year in twenty eleven when we really
had a chance with Brandon Weeded and Dustin Blackman. But
it's like it's he still felt like we weren't getting
a whole lot of media covers. So I think that's
that's why Mike Gundy is the way that he is,
and I think that's why, you know, he has the
whole bullet thing, because he wants to bring that attention

(01:07:42):
in to the program and show people, Hey, this is
who we are. And I remember, gosh, what game was
that that he said that where he was like, hey, listen,
you know when we beat Notre Dame. I believe he
was like, hey, listen, we're relevant too, We're here too,
like look at us and see us. So I just
think that's why he is so passionate, and why every

(01:08:04):
OSC fan is so passionate, because we're just like, hey,
come on now.

Speaker 1 (01:08:11):
I guess that's the best way to put it, because
I'm sure they're treated like the little brother you know,
oh absolutely, yeah, not unlike a certain rivalry here in
the State. We're talking with Kinsey Lee of l e
X eighteen and BBN tonight and sticking with football, you
talked about the passion of fan bases. Of course, Kentucky
coming off back to back seven and six seasons, and

(01:08:33):
of course I go way back to when seven wins
was a cause for a parade down Main Street. Now
it's disappointment. But when you look at Kentucky's schedule, which
I think in terms of the calendar, Kinzie, not the
teams they're playing, although those are tough, it's when they
occur on the calendar. I think it's as tough as
I've seen it in years. What are you in your opinion,

(01:08:55):
what are the reasonable and I have air quotes on that.
Expectations in your opinion for Kentucky fans, Oh man, I mean.

Speaker 7 (01:09:06):
You're right. I think you have South Carol Line and
George is there at the top. Yeah, I mean that's
gonna be huge all in all, but again it's how
they It won't be that big depending on how they
do throughout the season at the end of the day,
of course, but I think we're all just really excited,
you know, to see this offense at action basketball Stuf's

(01:09:27):
the only one with new faces, right. You got a
new OC, new offensive line coach, new quarterback, running back duo.
I think people are hungry to see it because of
an inconsistency last year with it. But man, it's all
going to come down to this offensive line, right and
I highlighted by Marcus Cox and Sima. See chance for
Jerald Minty coming in. I think that's going to be

(01:09:49):
the game changer. We're all ready to do what Brock
Vandergrift can do and bring to the SSC because you know,
he hasn't seen the field much at all, but I
can't protect him. You know, it's going to be a
really long season, So I I think it's exciting. I
think we're all really excited. I'm excited to talk about it,
going to Dallas here a little bit, the media days
and these new pieces that are coming in. I mean
defense in general. I just think they're gonna have another

(01:10:09):
good year. But yeah, I'm excited. I'm ready. I think
you're probably if I'm being realistic, it wouldn't surprise me
if you have a four last season, maybe more than that.
I mean, you saw went off to the South Carolina
game last year that was tough, and then you're opening
up with them, So it's like, yeah, I'm just hoping

(01:10:34):
that this year Stoops, especially with the whole debacle of
that chaos is going to Texas A and M and stuff,
that he can come in this year with these new
pieces and really show everyone what he and this team
can do and what he's trying to put together and
what he's built.

Speaker 3 (01:10:50):
Over the years.

Speaker 7 (01:10:51):
I mean, what now with Nick Savin Leaven isn't he
like the longest active senior coach in the STC. So
it's like, we are ready, come on go. I mean,
we know he's been consistent, that is the fact. I
mean you talked about that, but like you said, it
like the seven wins isn't enough anymore. So we're ready
to kind of cross that line and get over that home.

Speaker 1 (01:11:13):
We're listening to the best of the Big Blue Insider.
Want to come here on six thirty WLAP. It's Dick Gabriel.
Welcome back to the Best of the Big Blue Insider.
Kenzie Lee is my guest. She is, of course an
anchor reporter for l e X eighteen and you see
her work on BBN tonight and you all have had
the opportunity to talk to the basketball Wildcats, the new

(01:11:35):
guys and the strangest situation in the history of UK basketball,
new coach and almost an entirely new team except for
walk Ons. What do you think of the way Mark
Pope has pieced this team together?

Speaker 7 (01:11:52):
Well, first and foremost, I think it's safe to say,
and everyone could agree with me.

Speaker 1 (01:11:55):
I love this man.

Speaker 7 (01:11:57):
He is just so much fun, love the energy. Actually
I met him a couple of times and when I
got to see him at the club Blue and Al,
then a few weeks back seeing him interact with the fans.
I mean, he is just oking in every single moment
of this But at the end of the day, when
you know it comes down to it, but this team
can produce on the court, but I think he's bandaged
to check all the boxes with the guys on this roster,

(01:12:19):
and you really look at it in depth. I know
we haven't really got to see him in action yet,
but when you look at it on paper, I mean
he talked about bringing in that experience when he was hired.
I mean, no question he has done that. And you
got your local Kentucky guys, Trent Travis, I mean I
love covering them in the Sweet sixteen. I think people
are looking forward to them being Team A. Yeah, young talent.
You certainly have the defense, which we know we're going

(01:12:42):
to be excited to see with, you know, Marii Williams
and Lamont Butler great shooters. Kobe Brea led the nation
third best nation last year. Three point shooting kerk Krisa.
He's a great shooter with what I've seen on the
stuff they've been posting so far, I mean, and just
when you watch him all around. Also, he's a character.
By the way, his interview hasn't air yet for our

(01:13:04):
Meet the Wildcat series, so I got to sit down
with him and man talk about he is hilarious and
he's got a lot of bold confidence. Ansley amin Or,
I mean, when you get a big guy that can
shoot through, he does his goal. So you got the skill,
I mean, you got the size. I'm definitely sitting on
the edge of my seat and anticipation on what this
first year and the Mark Pope Arrow will result it.

(01:13:25):
I think it's evidence that everybody loves him. Like I
said before, the energy that he's bringing. But you can
only hope that these players He's brought in can produce
on the court effectively and consistently. And I'm getting to
do these interviews with each of these players, each of
their stories and their personality is so different, and I
can really just sent so much humility too on this

(01:13:47):
team and the willingness to learn from whateveryone can bring
to the table. And honestly, in my opinion, I think
the players that Hope has brought in is truly just
a reflection of who Cope is and why I think
it's going to make it all the more exciting to
see them come together once the season started.

Speaker 1 (01:14:03):
That's a great point because obviously you weren't here when
he played. I don't think you were born when he played,
but it okay, you just missed him. But yeah, the
way he played. He always jokes about his lack of ability. Look,
he played in the NBA, which made him one of
the best players in the world, and at Kentucky he
was kind of the missing piece. The year prior. I

(01:14:26):
don't know if anybody told you this, Keith Farmer or anybody,
but the year prior when Kentucky would lose a battle
on the boards, but Tino would say that's going to
change next year because Mark Pope's on the way. Of course,
he was already here practicing as a red shirt. But
he wasn't wrong. I mean, you know, Hope was was
kind of a raw bone, physical player. You look at him,

(01:14:47):
you might not think that, but that was back before
bigs were shooting a lot of threes. Even a Kentucky
they shot it once in a while. But yeah, you're right.
I think this team and this roster is a reflection
of him. I got a thing, Kinsey that that's a
big help in the coaching process, you know what I mean?

Speaker 7 (01:15:05):
Yeah, absolutely, I mean and speakin of that too, and
the coaches that he's brought in when I I can't
keep giving up all these little exclusives here because Kerr
hasn't aired yet. But when I asked him, I said, hey,
you know, Polpe said, you're one of the most experienced
guards and all college basketball. You know, you've been the
pack tell the big job. Now you're in the RCC.
What made you decide to be like, you know what,

(01:15:25):
I'm going to come here this and be a part
of something like this, this whole star from scratch, especially
with a program like this, And I loved what he said,
and he said it was bold confidence. He was like,
I would not be here if I did not trust
what coach Pope was building and what he was putting together. Yeah,
and so I think that just spicks to it in itself.

(01:15:46):
I mean, when you can have your players saying that,
I think that they're going to be going in with
a lot of camaraderie, hopefully.

Speaker 3 (01:15:53):
On and off the court.

Speaker 1 (01:15:55):
Talking to Kenzie Lee of BBN tonight, and since you
and I last spoke here on the Big Blue Kentucky
has been to the College World Series and what to run?
What a story? I know you posted a lot, you
did a lot with that run, and how much fun
was that?

Speaker 4 (01:16:11):
You know?

Speaker 1 (01:16:12):
And it's I guess the question now, because people loved
it so much, is we want more? They're saying, can
they do it again? It's not out of skepticism, it's
because people loved it so much, right.

Speaker 7 (01:16:23):
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, man, I was really really hoping
i'd just go to Omaha. I was like, come on, guys,
come on, I know budget me if you I can
both go, But I'm glad you I got to go
and got to experience that. But hey, I think I
was just so grateful. It was so exciting the fact
that they got to host the Super Regional and you know,
you know, right in our back ya game.

Speaker 3 (01:16:44):
To go there.

Speaker 7 (01:16:46):
Great experience for me. I will say growing up, I
wasn't much of a baseball girl. I didn't watch it
a whole lot, but man, have I just fell in
love with it. I fell in love with it at
my last station. But now being here is just really
you know, ella that to a different level. Because it
was funny when we were talking about and I was
watching Oklahoma State during it as well, and they're like, Mancasey,

(01:17:07):
what are you gonna do? It's Oklahoma stating technically each other,
and I'm like, listen, I'm loyal and true. I love
my guys, but I it is so hard not to
root for this team. It just hopes that they can
continue to do what they have done. I mean and
watching what watching how minjeone has brought everyone from all
different lights together in college baseball, and how they're talking

(01:17:32):
about him, like you don't even have to like Kentucky,
but when you watch him and you watch mingeone his interviews,
you're just like, man. And then seeing them advanced that
last game against organ stating catching that shot that I
have on my Twitter. I mean it just truly that
was probably one of my favorite moments that I've ever
got to cover and see him just how down tours

(01:17:53):
and how much this truly messed him to get to
this point. And the fact that going into the season,
you know, they were ranked what near the bottom of
the the bottom of the preseason ranking, and then to
do what they have done, I think just makes it.
That just made it that much more special to watch
and see. So Man, yeah, really really really really hoping

(01:18:16):
that he can keep this going. And I think it'd
be hard not to. I think it's hard not to
be appealing, appealing to come to Kentucky now with you
know what they've done in the last few years when
it comes to recruiting. But that's sad to see. Uh
few of them go sad to see Ryan Man. I'm
sure I was trying to get to talk to him
this week before before the draft. But that's that's the

(01:18:36):
big question. You know, a place in these guys and
can you do it again, because that's the hardest part.
Once he's done it, you're like, Okay, I mean you
just talked about it, so yeah, I reached Like a lot.

Speaker 1 (01:18:48):
Of us wanted to talk to Waldy before before the draft,
but he's getting ready. You can understand why he he
wants to concentrate. But he's another great story. A guy
comes through the portal from Charleston Southern UH and one
of his teammates transferred from college to Charleston and people
make the mistake of thinking that they both did. But no,
he was a small school and it was a good

(01:19:09):
player last year, but man, he exploded this year. And
you know it's good. You're gonna root for whatever team
he is playing for. Thank you so much and we'll
see you down the road.

Speaker 7 (01:19:19):
Appreciate it.

Speaker 5 (01:19:20):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:19:20):
That'll do it for now. Thanks for joining us for
this special edition the best of the Big Blue Insider.
That's it. Good night from the garage in Lexington.