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- [00:00]
T-Mobile Representative
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Comedy Off Broadway Announcer
Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington welcomes Dale Jones February 14th and 15th. Then catch Lucas Zelnick February 21st and 22nd. And don't miss club favorite Ian Bagg February 27th through March 1st. Comedy Off Broadway opened in downtown Lexington in 1987 and they're still bringing the best in stand up comedy to the area 38 years later. Call 859-271-Joke or visit comedyoff broadway.com comedyoff.
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Matt Jones
Broadway Brooklyn this is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.
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Welcome everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio, Tuesday, February 25th. I'm Matt Jones here live at the KS Bar and Grill on an absolutely beautiful day. Feels like it's not spring yet, but it feels like we've got, you know, the the makings of a wonderful day. You can give us a shout on the Clark's puppet shop, phone line 859-280-2287. A Vision Auto Glass text machine is 772-774-5254. And this edition sponsored by the TJ Smith Law Office. You call TJ. Help make them pay. We got Travis here from Marion County. We got a couple here from Paintsville. You can come on out and have lunch today or just hang out and watch the show. Well, we like when you buy lunch because this is ultimately a restaurant. Ryan Lemon, you put gel in your hair today. Is that because it's a big day?
- [01:53]
Ryan Lemon
I think, you know, it's the first time I've put anything in my hair since like the 90s. Really? I usually just towel dry it because I know you.
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Matt Jones
How did you do it this morning?
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Ryan Lemon
Well, Josiah, like, had a bottle that had like still an inch left in it. He was throwing it away. I'm like, there's still some in there.
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Matt Jones
But why did you say today I'm gonna put it in my hair?
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Ryan Lemon
I don't know.
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Matt Jones
Like, it's you. You have very. I mean, your new plugs are slicked.
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Ryan Lemon
Yeah.
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Matt Jones
And it bunches them together.
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Ryan Lemon
I really thought Mario was going to be here today. And I want to look good for pictures and then he's not here.
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Matt Jones
Yeah, well, it's a different look for you. I will say the gel Dan hair is a different look for you. Drew, I was thrown off.
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Drew Franklin
I've known ryan at least 10 years. Never known him to have any product in his hair. Never really known him to comb his hair.
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Matt Jones
Yeah, you look a little bit like you're going in for the school picture, you know, and mom, like put, put a little something in your hair.
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Ryan Lemon
Well, I may start doing it every day. You guys keep bragging on me. I think I'm looking pretty stylish, like a movie star. Maybe you should.
- [02:49]
Matt Jones
Well, all right. So we're going to make this an ask anything Tuesday. You could call in and ask any question. UK basketball or other related. Just not politics. Anything but politics. But you can ask anything else you want. 859-280-2287 or on the text machine. 772-774-5254. But before we start, Ryan, a little bit of an announcement. Would you like to hear it?
- [03:14]
Ryan Lemon
Big announcement. Yes, sir. Go for it.
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Matt Jones
So it was just announced, this got done last week, but it just got announced this morning by heart that we. That I've extended my deal with iHeart for five more years to do Kentucky sports radio through the end of 2029. Our 15th anniversary is in September. So this will take us basically to our, to our 20th anniversary. I'm excited about it. We got. It took a while, but we got to where we wanted to be. And so, you know, four years and I guess what 10 months of KSR left that I'm excited to do.
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Drew Franklin
I'm gonna clap.
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Ryan Lemon
Yes.
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Matt Jones
Amen. Yeah, I kind of hope the three people here would clap, but they sat there silently, so that's okay. But nevertheless, it's good news.
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Ryan Lemon
Well, on behalf of me and my family, thank you very much for signing that deal. I'm excited.
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Matt Jones
It was for you and your friend.
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Ryan Lemon
Thank you very much. We can survive and eat dinner in.
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Matt Jones
The next five years to a five year deal. Now hang on.
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Ryan Lemon
Oh, that's true.
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Matt Jones
Yeah, yeah. This, I mean, like, you still have to work for it.
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Ryan Lemon
Oh, I gotcha. I didn't think about that.
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Matt Jones
Yeah. Well, now, now you guys, now you all are up to the plate, so.
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Drew Franklin
Expires in three days.
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Matt Jones
Yes. So.
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Drew Franklin
So.
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Matt Jones
So now you guys are up to the plate. But you know, I'm sure it'll work out and I'm excited to. To continue going.
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Ryan Lemon
You seem excited about it. You know, there was some back and.
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Matt Jones
Forth there, a little bit. You know, the. The. So if you were to, like, go back if. Last. Last March, when we walked off the court in Pittsburgh after the loss to Oakland, I had in my mind that I was probably going to be done, that I was ready to, like, do something else or at least try some things. It felt, especially once, a few days later, that it came out that Cal was going to be back. I just kind of thought, you know, probably good. It's probably good for me to at least take a year and go do something else. I'd already planned that trip. You know, I'm gonna confirm in my mind on that trip, but. But my general response was to. Was to not. And then, you know, obviously, things changed quickly. You ended up with Mark Pope here. There was a lot of energy, which I could feel, which was good. And then I did my trip, and I had. It was really exactly what I needed to do. And then I came back and I thought, you know what? You know, I'm. I'm only in my mid-40s. I'm not ready to move to a retirement home yet. So. So then we started talking, and we're able to make it happen.
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Ryan Lemon
Do you think it was during your trip that you kind of came to realization? I want to stay for a lot.
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Matt Jones
Like, another five years during my trip that I. It was during my trip that I realized, like, okay, so life is short, right? And I want to be able to do more things than. I mean, this job has wedded me to a place for 15, 20 years. Really. I mean, I. You know, I would take those two weeks and drive around the country, and that was about it. And I worked with iHeart, and they did a good job of, like, giving me the freedom, like, from April to August, I'll be doing this show the normal amount of time, but I might all not always be here. And they gave me some. Some freedom to do that. And then just, you know, listen, it's a new era, and it's exciting. I mean, how could you not be wrapped up? You know, that Sunday at Rupp arena was, like. I called it a big blue. It was like a revival, you know, a tent revival in some ways. But it was for the fans. I think it was for the program. It was for Mark, and on a personal level, it was for me. And I was like, okay, there is a path. I could not see myself doing what we did last year again. I. I really could because after every game, if we lost, it was my fault. To a lot of people, if we won, they just go eat it. And I was like, I just can't. I can't do that anymore. And then that ended up. So thank you to. To Arkansas for also that. I think that was chicken. That was. Yeah.
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Drew Franklin
A, congratulations. But B, you walked right into my question. Did the public reception you got in April kind of help?
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Matt Jones
Well, that was nice, But I remember.
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Drew Franklin
Everybody was real nasty. Not everyone, but there was a lot of nastiness.
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Matt Jones
That was nice. That was nice. And that certainly made. Reminded you, hey, the people that yell at you online are a minority. But it was also just a part. I mean, I. I started this website when I was 26 years old while also being a lawyer. And for 20 straight years, I never stopped. Like, I mean, never stopped. There was a period, Drew, you know, for 14 years where I wrote every single day. And then, you know, when you took a chance to stop and you were like, okay, let's reprioritize. And then when I came back, I realized, you can still do this show well and have a life. And so I was like, yeah, let's keep going.
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Drew Franklin
And you missed Ryan, let's be honest. That's why I put priority.
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Matt Jones
Now, listen, I. I would miss. If I didn't do it, I would miss you. I mean, I'm. When I was at my worst health crisis, the happiest two hours of my day was this. Right. I never didn't enjoy doing this. And so, yeah, I wanted to keep going. And, like, yeah, being with you all. I mean, how. How many shows keep the core group?
- [08:36]
Ryan Lemon
That's true.
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Matt Jones
For 13 years. I mean, the first two years were a little different. I was with Zach for a year, and then I was with Shannon and random people for a year. But really, for 13 years, it's been this core group, and they're just that, you know, there are not too many shows that could do that.
- [08:53]
Ryan Lemon
No, you listen to any of the success. Even the successful radio shows, their hosts are together, like, maybe two, three years, tops.
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Matt Jones
Well, because they end up hating each other. Like, I mean, I. I've seen that from espn. Almost all. I mean, almost all national shows, the host all end up hating each other, and we like each other, and we are friends. Except for Shannon. Not invited to the Christmas party. We always get along very well, and it's, you know, so it's a great time. We got five more years.
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Five more years for me to invite you to one of the parties, and.
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Then I can start Coming when we don't work together. Okay, that's fair enough.
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Drew Franklin
This morning he called his work friends, by the way. Yeah, you're not real friends.
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Matt Jones
Wait a minute. You called us work for him?
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I don't you guys after work and grab a beer with you ever. It's always like, I see you guys.
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It's true though. We do. It's just we're in different places. But we, you and I once a year hang out, get wet once a year. You know, there's a handful of time.
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Drew Franklin
I think the key to success is cross country road trips with Airbnbs, really that if national guys, if Mike and Mike had done that, they'd still be pitching Subway in the mornings on espn. I think that helps bring us together too.
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Matt Jones
And there's, let me also say this, I've heard a lot more of this since April, but you know, people have been saying this forever. The role this show plays in other people's life and the things they're going in is immensely gratifying. I mean the role when people say, you know, I had a family member sick and we sat and listened to this or you know, I will get text messages literally five to six a week of someone who says to me, I'm going through X, Y or Z and listening to this helped me or there's a lot of lonely people in the world who, but who feel like. So like all that stuff is, is a huge part of why I really enjoy it.
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Ryan Lemon
The thing that always gets me too is when like if somebody says my dad was in failing health. But the one thing we talked about every day we posted, the show gets me every time.
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Matt Jones
And, and we've, and this is a testament to bringing on Mario. We have picked up in the last year a younger audience. I can feel it. I mean I can feel it with those videos. And bringing in Mario has helped us reach a generation. There had become a point that I wondered if like that like people 25 and under, if it, if we just like we're old now and we'll never connect to them. But Mario has helped make that happen in a way that I think is really, really exciting. And so now you can get 80 year olds and 50 year olds and sports radio in general in this country gets 35 to 55 year old men.
- [11:33]
Ryan Lemon
And that's it.
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Matt Jones
And that's it.
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Ryan Lemon
Yep.
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Matt Jones
This does a lot more and I think that's part of what makes it great.
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Drew Franklin
Yeah, I mean the number show still growing. It's fun. I think the bar, you know, we actually get to see like kids coming here to get Ryan Lemon's autograph. Like that lets us know there's a little bit of future and we still have some unfinished finished business, some brackets, some, some Sopranos podcast. We were the number stop without finishing all those.
- [11:56]
Matt Jones
We were the number one radio station in Kentucky last time for 25 to 54 year old women. I, I, there's no sports show in America.
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Ryan Lemon
Never happens.
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Matt Jones
There's none. There's net. There's no sports show that's in the top 10 in that demographic and we're number one. So like how can you not be, be excited and listen, this has been, this has been a fun year. I mean Even though we're 18 and 9 or whatever and there have been years people would say, well that's not elite. I think you got to go back for me to like maybe the last team before COVID as a team that I've just enjoyed the ride as much as I've enjoyed this one.
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Ryan Lemon
For basketball, I think there's no doubt there's been some rough seasons which led us to have some rough times on this radio show because people were so frustrated. Like I said before, we were a fractured fan base and we felt it on this show. By the way, the people that called in.
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Drew Franklin
Yeah, this is such a fun group. Not just with, with Pope being here and everything starting new, everything fresh that's always going to give you new energy. But whatever happens with this team, it's one of my favorites. I kind of said that last year too, and it really ended poorly. But I mean this, this group is one that I already will remember for a long time and there'll be a among my favorites.
- [13:09]
Matt Jones
Well, I want to thank you guys for being like great partners, friends, co hosts for the last for you all forever. Shannon, 14 years. Yeah, you guys, 13 years. And you know, thanks to everybody who's played a part of it. Billy and Mario, more recent additions, but have been great and really to the audience, you know, this is, I, I never would have thought 25 years ago that this would be my life. I went to law school and, and I thought I'm just going to be like, maybe if I'm lucky, I'll be in a courtroom and be arguing somewhere. And this is so much more fulfilling for me. And it's because of those of you that read the blog during the Patterson Lucas, you know, Allen Cutler chasing Billy Gillespie, John Caliperi getting hired, the national championship platoons, Mark Stoops, you know, all the way through the College World Series last year to the new Mark Pope revolution. You know, it's because of you all this has happened and I'm excited to do five more years, but also thankful to everybody that helped make it happen. 859-280-2287. Text machine is 772-7745254. We might as well get started with the next five years.
- [14:24]
Ryan Lemon
Starts today.
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Matt Jones
That's exactly right. It's Ask Anything Tuesday, and we'll take a break and be right back. This is ksr.
- [14:30]
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- [15:02]
Matt Jones
Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio, 859-280-2287. Text machine, 772-77-7452. For some, some things coming on the text machine, one person writes. Matt, why do you guys keep doing radio? Don't you think you should do other media mediums? Radio is too old school for me. Well, first of all, no, because radio is, is the best medium. Radio. You know, I don't think radio and podcasts are different. Radio does have commercials live, but then we put it up on podcast and if you hate the commercials, you can just wait and do the podcast. I, it's live. I like the fact you can react to things live. I also think when podcast, when you, for those of you that listen to podcasts, they do live podcasts. Guess what that is a radio show. Like, like that's the same thing. Now I do think eventually we'll get it to where it streams like the YouTube on YouTube. I think that will eventually happen one day. I don't know. I don't know if it'll be like in the next year, but I do think that'll happen at some point. But to me, radio slash podcast, because I do consider that the same thing. It's the most growing media. TVs die. But radio, you can take it with you. And I also think I've said this many times, when you listen to someone on the radio, like that's who they are. You can fake it, Ryan, on television, you can't fake it on radio. Like you're going to end up being who you are in some form.
- [16:29]
Ryan Lemon
Yeah, it's a two hour live show so you can show your personality. And when you're doing sports on TV on a newscast, you have three minutes to condense everything in three minutes. We're here on this radio show. We've got two hour show. You can kind of be yourself.
- [16:42]
Matt Jones
And podcasts can be edited. Live radio cannot. So, like, if somebody says something they wish they didn't, well, you can. You can kind of manipulate that. But on radio, like, it's out there, it's gone. You might edit it after the fact, but it still went out there. So, like, you know, it is what it's. It's a different kind of thing that.
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Drew Franklin
Can be part of the fun. This guy next to me sometimes might say something backwards, and a podcast would edit that and let him fix that.
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Matt Jones
Yeah, Ryan. When Saturday Night live, on their 50th anniversary, they did the In Memoriam, Rather than putting up pictures of people that died, they put up skits, pictures of skits that wouldn't play in today's world that were maybe a little problematic. And I thought, you know, KSR could have the Ryan Lemon version of that. Ryan Lemon, things that have been said. You know, I've talked about this a lot, but when I was thinking about running for Senate and I had to pay for my own background check, and it was like 50 pages, 45 of which were old KSR posts. And you sit there and you read it, most of them weren't mine. Most of them were this guy sitting over here and another friend and another friend of mine. But sitting there reading it, I thought even stuff I'd written, I was like, I can't believe I ever wrote that. But, you know, things change over time, and things that seemed okay then seem less okay now. Sometimes Ryan Lemon, I think, has some of those on the air.
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Ryan Lemon
I just watched a movie, and there was some scenes in the movie, like, okay, that would not fly in today's world.
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Matt Jones
Yeah, you could. There's just some things that. I mean, there were some things that I said that I, like, look back and go, what? What was I thinking? Like, you know, it's just. That's what happens.
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Drew Franklin
Well, the Hangover, one of the biggest movies of the year. Their trailer had some things we don't say anymore. If you go back and you're like, that was in the movie trailer. Like, that was on TV as a commercial.
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Matt Jones
Ye. So, I mean, that's, you know, that's part of. Part of growing. One person writes, matt, I was listening to your very first KSR show, and I remember thinking, this guy will never make It. He's too nervous. I was really nervous those. In those days, especially when we started, because, you know, I was on every crappy station in Louisville for years, and then they finally put me on iheart, and I was like, well, I can't screw this up. So I was very nervous when we first started.
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Ryan Lemon
You did.
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Matt Jones
If you go to listen to those shows, it sounds like a different show. It just. It doesn't even sound like the same thing. I mean, I don't even sound like the same person.
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Ryan Lemon
You did podcast for how long before you did the radio show? The one on.
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Matt Jones
I named this thing Kentucky Sports Radio because I one day wanted to be on the radio. And we created a podcast very soon after. I've told this story a lot, and then I'll shut up and we'll talk about the game. I went to every radio station, every single one of them in Lexington, Louisville, and I went to ones in like, Winchester, Nicholasville, Harrodsburg. I physically walked into every station in these cities and said, give me a show. I'll do it for free. And every one of them said, no. And so I was like, you know what? All right, I'll just do one myself. And I had heard a radio show talk about the idea of podcast. Adam Curry FORMER MTV VJ I was like, well, I could do that. I think. I'm not. I'm not saying this to be, like, bragging. I think it's the truth. I think we had the first podcast in Kentucky.
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Ryan Lemon
First.
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Matt Jones
I know it didn't even exist. Like, it wasn't even a medium that existed. And I created. I went to the people at Kentucky Sports Report and I said, can I take this podcast I'm making, Put it on here, because I need somewhere to host it. I didn't know what that word meant right, but that did some. And so I went to him and said, you don't even have to pay me. Can I just put it here? And they said, no, we don't want that. And I went, well, now what? And I was at hubby's house in his basement. And hubby goes, well, you could just make you a website. And then Kentucky Sports Radio really just existed for me to have somewhere to put my podcast on. And then I was like, well, now I can write stuff. And then that's kind of how it happened. But it happened because every single station in Kentucky told me no. And I was like, all right, well, then I'll just do it myself.
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Ryan Lemon
Kicking themselves now, ain't they?
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Matt Jones
Well, I don't know. You have to ask them.
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Drew Franklin
But I kind of missed the days of the podcast in hubby's basement when his wife would be folding clothes and next to us.
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Matt Jones
No, his wife hated it. His wife was like, what are you all doing? Why are you. Why are you doing this? Like, I got laundry to do. And then one time we picked Drew up drunk at Tin Roof and brought him to the house.
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Drew Franklin
No, no, that's the time where I was drunk, definitely. But you all brought a guy that you thought was my friend.
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Matt Jones
That's right. Yeah. That's a true story. We spoke. Drew was at Tin Roof for like a soccer. U.S. soccer game.
- [21:33]
Drew Franklin
Yeah. World cup started fairly new.
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Matt Jones
Drew, it's my birthday and I went to pick him up to have him come do the podcast. And this dude just got in the car with us and I assumed it was Drew's friend. It was just a random guy who got in the car. And then we got out at hubby's house and there's just this random guy sitting there.
- [21:51]
Drew Franklin
And I look, I thought he's with you all.
- [21:52]
Matt Jones
And I thought he was with you.
- [21:53]
Drew Franklin
Yeah, we didn't know each other very well.
- [21:54]
Matt Jones
And I looked at Drew and I was like, so who's your friend? And Drew's like, I don't know that guy.
- [21:58]
Ryan Lemon
I never heard this story.
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Matt Jones
And he's just sitting in hubby's basement. This random guy. You might be listening right now. A random guy. And then finally I was like, dude, you gotta go. Like, we don't know you.
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Drew Franklin
I barely knew hubby, barely knew you.
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Ryan Lemon
I've never heard. That's awesome.
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Matt Jones
So There you go. 859-280-2287. One more thing about the. About the deal. I will also be doing a one hour weekly show that will be non sports where I interview people. It'll air on WHAS and wlap, but then also be available on podcast. That'll start may, but it'll be like my old Matt Jones podcast. But I'll be doing that once a week, both on. On radio but also on podcast.
- [22:44]
Ryan Lemon
Very cool. I knew you that was in the works. I didn't know you're ready to announce that, so I didn't ask you about it. But that's gonna be something exciting for you to do. A different avenue of what we do here.
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Matt Jones
Well, and it's, it's just going to be. It will not be UK sports. It'll get to be other stuff. All right, Shannon, who's up first?
- [22:58]
We'll start with Jen.
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Jen. Go ahead, Jen.
- [23:03]
Caller
So I am originally from Seattle, Washington and I am a Die Hard.
- [23:09]
Ryan Lemon
Don't.
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Caller
Don't hang up on me now. I'm a Die Hard.
- [23:14]
Matt Jones
Go, go.
- [23:16]
Caller
Okay, so here's the thing. My husband converted me over to a Kentucky basketball fan. So as a world renowned attorney and also a world renowned radio star, what would be your closing argument to get me to turn over to a Kentucky football fan as well?
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Matt Jones
From what?
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Caller
What's your team the Volunteers go? Tennessee.
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Matt Jones
Because here's what I would do. I would go to a Tennessee game and I would look around at those human beings and say, do I want to be associated with these people? Because if I am a Tennessee fan, the world will look at me like I look at these human being. If you want to be a person of importance, yes, you cheer for Kentucky over Tennessee records regardless in football. We'll be right back. T.J. smith, personal injury attorney. Call T.J. he'll make him pay.
- [24:11]
Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones.
- [24:16]
Welcome back, Tucky Sports Radio, 859-280-2287. I have people tell me the first time they ever learned of this show. That's kind of interesting. If you have an interesting story. 772-774-5254. What time you ever learned of this? Here's a couple. All right, one person writes, Matt, I was listening to the BTI Sucks first show, I was a Louisville fan. When I heard the show was coming on, I thought it was a Louisville show. I got really mad when I realized it was a Kentucky show. But I've still listened for 20 years even though I hate Kentucky.
- [24:44]
Ryan Lemon
That's when you know you're doing your job. Yeah, that's a great answer.
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Matt Jones
What person writes Matt? First time I heard of KSR was 2006. I was at a UK football game and a really attractive woman came and handed me a piece of paper that said, listen to the Kentucky Sports Radio podcast. That's exactly right. We did do that.
- [25:02]
Ryan Lemon
Yeah.
- [25:03]
Matt Jones
We were trying to figure out how to get the word out. And me and hubby and Rob Goodell would walk around and hand out little cards that said, listen to Kentucky Sports Radio. Nobody cared. Like nobody cared. They were like, get this dude with the mullet away from me. Like nobody cared. So then somebody said, you know, you ought to get women that are attractive to carry it around. And I knew a young woman in Louisville, she and her friends, we paid them like $50 and they each. And they walked around, had a lot more people take the car after that that was a lot more. That was a good piece of early marketing to, to realize you got your.
- [25:43]
Drew Franklin
Money'S worth of that. One person that's still listening almost 20.
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Matt Jones
Years later, that worked 20 years later and they still, still are listening.
- [25:51]
Ryan Lemon
Don't you feel like we're doing our job? We can get fans of other teams.
- [25:54]
Matt Jones
He loves saying that, Shannon. That's his phrase. He loves this phrase, doing our jobs. Go ahead.
- [25:58]
Ryan Lemon
Older fans, fans of other teams, they listen every day or tune in. We know we're doing our job.
- [26:04]
Matt Jones
All right, let's before I go the phones, let's talk for a second about Mark Pope's radio show last night. Mark Pope said in his radio show that Lamont Butler and Jackson Robin Robinson were both progressing to play, which I think was a very good sign. That's the first time he said with Robinson specifically that he thought he was going to play. He's kind of hinted that with Butler, but he did not say it with Robinson. They both are. This is kind of if you were listening to the scuttlebutt Monday, you kind of heard this. He said Butler is practicing. Robinson is starting to practice. No word on if they play Wednesday. I'm still going to put my money on we see Butler against Auburn. I don't know that we seem tomorrow night, but we'll see. Robinson, I think takes a game or two later, but drew very good signs, at least from Mark Pope's comments last night.
- [26:52]
Drew Franklin
To me, definitely, especially the Robinson part. I've always felt pretty good about Butler getting back at some point, but Robinson has been very mysterious and Pope said we're hopeful for both. Then he said Butler was still a little bit limited in that Jackson is doing skill work, but the fact that they're both out there practicing is a great sign with a couple weeks left in the season.
- [27:11]
Matt Jones
Great sign, exactly what you want to hear. He also then was asked by call, good question by the caller about Amari Williams and why doesn't he play more. And Mark Pope gave his answer. It's not an answer that I necessarily like, but at least we know the answer and it's exactly what the guy who did the TV told me. He said we did studies and Amari Williams is at his most efficient between 22 and 28 minutes. And we're trying to figure out whether we can get him to 28 or it's more like 22. I didn't like that answer because I think it needs to be more than 28. And the fact that 22 is even on the Table scares me a little bit, but he is going to take the view that he wants to play these guys at maximum efficiency. And I think, whereas my inclination would be 80%, Amare is better than 100% Garrison. He's looking for a hundred percent from everybody. And so I think that's what we're going to see. I don't think we're going to see more than 28 minutes a game from Amari Williams.
- [28:13]
Ryan Lemon
I think Amare, to me, he's been the MVP of the SEC season during the SEC play. I think he's been the best player since Butler Robinson's been out. He's been the guy. And so why not, you know, increase your sample size then why not play him over 30 minutes and just see how he does and maybe. Maybe the stats will move a little bit for you and you can get more minutes out of him.
- [28:34]
Matt Jones
Well, but he's not doing that. It was clear when he said that. He basically was like, this is what it is. And he seemed. It's interesting. I. I wouldn't use the word stubborn with Mark Pope, because Mark Pope's. All of his opinions, I think, come from data, and data can change. Whereas I think John Calipari, his opinion wasn't going to change no matter what. But I do think my man is beholden to the data, and I'd rather have that than somebody just beholden totally their gut. I would say a mix is probably best, but we are going to be beholden to the numbers.
- [29:13]
Drew Franklin
Yeah, he was ready for that question, saying that it becomes clear that Amara is not as efficient once he hits that certain mark. And he's averaging 22 this season, so he's on the low end of that 22 to.
- [29:23]
Matt Jones
But I would ask. I would wonder, and I'm going to. I want to ask him this. During the off season, obviously amare at like 24 minutes is going to be more efficient than Amare at 35. But really, for me, the mathematical question is those 11 minutes between 24 and 35, is Amare more efficient than 100% Brandon Garrison? I mean, to me, that's the question is, would you. What is more efficient? Garrison at his fullest or Amari a little tired? And I don't know the answer to that question.
- [29:58]
Ryan Lemon
We've seen Garrett Garrison at times play pretty well, but overall, I think I would take an 80% amari over that.
- [30:06]
Matt Jones
So that, to me, he answered it without answering what is actually my question about it, if that makes sense.
- [30:13]
Drew Franklin
Yeah. And I would still want to know, like, do you ever think about the combinations you have in? Because, okay, maybe his minutes are never going to be 30 something, but we all know at least once a game we look up and there's four dudes in that can't guard or three guys they can't score. And it's almost like I wish he would work on the combos a little more, but obviously he knows a lot more than I do. And that was a clear answer of him explaining a question a lot of people have had.
- [30:34]
Matt Jones
All right, so we play Oklahoma on Wednesday. Oklahoma is reeling their coach. I mean, you want to talk about a game where the other side has a ton at stake. Oklahoma beat Mississippi State. So if they can beat us, I think they got a pretty good shot at the tournament. Porter Moser, the coach probably needs to make the tournament to keep his job. So you could make an argument that that coach goes in the locker room and says, boys, we come out of here tonight on espn. If we win, we're in the tournament and I might be your coach next year. And if we lose, neither of those things will be true. We better show up. Just like that's good. I mean, they're, they're 4 and 10, but 4 and 10 can still make the tournament because they were undefeated in the non conference.
- [31:26]
Ryan Lemon
That's what scares me about this game, really. I mean, you know, we kind of had a little bit of that. We went down to Texas. It was meant a lot more to Texas than it did to us. I kind of feel the same way. Tomorrow night, big game for Otega away going back to his old school and playing against his teammates. So maybe he'll be able to pull everybody through and win the game.
- [31:42]
Drew Franklin
And they showed they're not quitting on Moser at Mississippi State or had him at home. But I mean they had lost five straight, you know, three and ten at that point. That could have easily been a time that they were done and by beaten. You know, I think Mississippi State was 21st. That showed that they're willing to fight for him because it has not. I mean, when they made that higher. That's Loyola coach. You know, he's got one of the most famous runs that exist and they haven't been to the tournament with him. So do you think it's very hot?
- [32:04]
Matt Jones
Do you think we're an underdog.
- [32:09]
Drew Franklin
Maybe like a point? I think it'll be a very close spread either way. I would probably make Kentucky point and a half, but it won't shock me. I could be very wrong there. I just. It's I don't know how the desert reacts to these injuries. Like, if we were healthy, I would.
- [32:21]
Matt Jones
Definitely think, well, the desert got it wrong last game because they put it out six and a half and it ended up 12 and a half at tip and it was a 13 point game. So the desert was right.
- [32:31]
Drew Franklin
I had Alabama under 96 and a half. They scored 96.
- [32:34]
Comedy Off Broadway Announcer
Yeah.
- [32:34]
Drew Franklin
Nobody scores 97.
- [32:35]
Matt Jones
Well, I say the desert. Desert got it wrong. But the betters got it to where it needed to go. Who's next? Shannon Farmer. Steve Farmer. Steve, how are you?
- [32:44]
Caller
I'm fine. First time, long time. You guys deserve the extension and congratulations.
- [32:51]
Matt Jones
Thank you.
- [32:51]
Caller
I have a, I think perfect name for the team. It's organic, it's alliterative. Think about it. Pope's pickups. That's what he did. No team. Hey, you guys want to play ball? We're going to have fun. We're going to be at Kentucky. They're gone at the end of the year.
- [33:10]
Matt Jones
All right. Appreciate the call. I, you know, doesn't quite hit it with me, but, you know, that's okay. Popes pickups. I'm sticking. You know, the Mountain Mamba. I think you get one good nickname out of a season. You just roll with it. And we got Mountain Bomb. But I think we should just be happy with that. Ryan, we got one. That was good.
- [33:28]
Ryan Lemon
Yeah. I ain't doing it for me, dog. Pope's pickups. I'm not gonna go with that.
- [33:32]
Drew Franklin
Wow.
- [33:33]
Matt Jones
Is that Randy Jackson?
- [33:35]
Ryan Lemon
Randy Jackson? Yeah. He's doing it for me, dog.
- [33:37]
Drew Franklin
Product in his hair.
- [33:38]
Matt Jones
What are you doing? Like what? What was that? Ain't doing it for me, though.
- [33:41]
Ryan Lemon
Ain't doing it for me, dog. Post pickups.
- [33:47]
Matt Jones
Just. I just didn't expect to hear it like that from you. So.
- [33:51]
Drew Franklin
So Ryan. Ryan 2.0 with this product.
- [33:54]
Matt Jones
Product. Hair Ryan.
- [33:56]
Ryan Lemon
Feisty. Yeah.
- [33:59]
Drew Franklin
Was it like a paste or a gel?
- [34:01]
Matt Jones
Yeah. Is it a pomade? Like an. Brother, where art thou?
- [34:04]
Ryan Lemon
Look like a lotion. He did pull it out of a bottle and put it in your hand and put in your hair.
- [34:08]
Matt Jones
It's a Dapper Dan, man.
- [34:09]
You are a Dapper Dan man, aren't you? He's a Dapper Dan man. Well, Cornbread Hemp, you know, next Friday we're going to be at Cornbread Hemp and they're going to show you all. They've already showed me how they make it. You know, they make it in the. Out in Louisville.
- [34:23]
Ryan Lemon
In Louisville, right.
- [34:24]
Matt Jones
This little thing. And it may be February, but we still have a Ways to go this winter. So stay cozy and help rest with Cornbread Hemp. Full spectrum pop products formulated to. 15 seconds help brighten your mood. No, 15. That was Shannon. That was supposed to be how many 15 seconds are left in the. In the thing. I shouldn't have. That was a Ron Burgundy moment. I just read anything right there and it was not in there. Kentucky Grove quality and results. 10 seconds all time. First cornbread hemp. Customers can enter the code KSR at checkout and get 30% off for your first order. It's cornbread hemp.com code KSR. Cornbread hemp is the good life. We're going to take a break. Be right back. It's Kentucky Sports Radio. Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports radio, here live. 859-280-2287. People are giving me the first time they heard a ksr.
- [35:11]
Ryan Lemon
All right.
- [35:11]
Matt Jones
One person writes, Matt, I heard about it on a website called Wildcat Thunder. They had a link to your site. I remember Wildcat Thunder. It was just like a set of links. I don't know what happened to that. And there was a lot of those. What were some of the old websites you had? Wildcat Faithful.
- [35:27]
Drew Franklin
I don't remember that one.
- [35:28]
Matt Jones
You had Wildcat Thunder. You had. What was the guy who had all the links? Walter's Wild World of Kentucky. Yeah.
- [35:37]
Drew Franklin
Danny Jets Inner Circle.
- [35:38]
Matt Jones
Danny Jets Inner Circle. I missed Danny Jets Inner Circle produced one of the best KSR episodes of all time, by the way. I don't wonder what. Shout out to Danny Jet, wherever you are.
- [35:47]
Drew Franklin
I miss Aaron's links. We actually saw him in Michigan last year on our road trip. Those were great.
- [35:52]
Matt Jones
That's right. What else can you think of? Other old school K. Old school blocks.
- [35:57]
Drew Franklin
True blue. Kentucky was. That was.
- [35:59]
Matt Jones
That was Mark Magnus.
- [36:00]
Drew Franklin
That was that one.
- [36:01]
Matt Jones
Yeah. That was Mark Maggard's site, Kentucky Sports Report, which I don't know if that still exists or not, but that was. That was the site for a long time.
- [36:08]
Ryan Lemon
That was big for a while. Kentucky Sports Report. I remember the first time I found out about you. I've told this story before. Gabe Pendleton said. Judge Gabe said, hey, man, check out this blog. My friends, my college friends and some of my other friends have put this together. You're really going to like it. That's how I found out about it.
- [36:22]
Matt Jones
One person writes, 2014, I was working on a garbage truck, and the guy I worked with that day made me listen. I hated him for a while, but over time, I ended up liking one person writes, Matt, I Heard a KSR on the Big Blue dawn documentary during Cal's first year. You remember that documentary?
- [36:39]
Drew Franklin
I just saw that, not watched it, but I have it on dvd. That's a good documentary.
- [36:43]
Matt Jones
Yeah, it was the documentary of the, of the Wall Cousins year. I wonder if you can still get that. I'm not sure.
- [36:50]
Drew Franklin
I'll let somebody borrow it if they want.
- [36:51]
Matt Jones
Can I tell everybody about an incoming disaster that's going to happen two weeks from tomorrow? Oh, so the SEC tournament. You know you can buy passes to the whole tournament but they started a few years ago and it was been a pretty good idea. They just let you in on Wednesday night. Couple years they did it for free. Now it's like 20 bucks or something like that. But there's no assigned seating on Wednesday night. Well, here's a little secret. One of Kentucky plays Wednesday at one. Okay. What if Kentucky plays Wednesday at one and fans who have bought seats, your seat is not assigned for Wednesday night. So your seat may say you have a seat on like row one, but you do not. If you get there, someone may be sitting there and they take your seat. Oh, and a lot of people, I'll go so far as to say most people will have no idea. And they're gonna come in and do the whole what? Cedric the Entertainer 2. I got those two right here.
- [37:58]
Drew Franklin
Seats four and five.
- [37:59]
Matt Jones
Four and five. Like one of those. And then they're gonna go, sorry, I ain't leaving. When they created that policy, they couldn't have thought Kentucky was gonna play. Oh, so what if the first game, all of you that have books your. And it'll be on the seat number that you have it, but you don't have it because it'll be first come, first serve. And if you're, if Kentucky plays on Wednesday and you're going get there at 11 at whatever that time they open, you might sit with the best seats you've ever set for a Kentucky game ever. Because it's first come, first serve.
- [38:37]
Drew Franklin
We don't hope, we wish. Yeah, it's from us from that skit. I actually told some friends just two days ago. I was like, hey, there's a chance Wednesday's in play and you can go to Ticketmaster right now for 20American dollars and buy a ticket ticket for general admission and potentially be watching Kentucky versus whoever.
- [38:53]
Matt Jones
This is what I would say to all of you. Mississippi State and us are tied. If we finish Todd, we will be one seat ahead of them. But their schedule's easy. If we lose tomorrow night, there's A decent chance. We're playing on Wednesday. Now, I want us to win tomorrow night, but if we lose, I would get on Ticketmaster right after the game and just buy a Wednesday seat. It's 20 bucks. You might have a chance to sit in the front row for a Kentucky game because it's general admission. So I. I mean, for me, what's the worst that happens? You see, you end up going. Cal might be playing that round anyway. Right. But there is a real chance that there is going to be absolute chaos in Nashville Wednesday at 1:00 because Kentucky might play for a general admission game that has wins. When has Kentucky played where it's general admission?
- [39:53]
Ryan Lemon
I don't know if ever, ever. Even blue, white game, you've got assigned seats.
- [39:58]
Drew Franklin
I'm shocked they didn't change the policy with the new format where there's more games. I mean, there's gonna be ranked teams on Wednesday. I'm surprised they're doing general admission.
- [40:05]
Matt Jones
So I would just say to you, if we lose tomorrow night, you should be upset. But get on Ticketmaster. You'll never see a Kentucky. First of all, you'll net they'll change this rule if this happens.
- [40:17]
Ryan Lemon
Yeah, they will.
- [40:18]
Matt Jones
Which means you'll never see a Kentucky game ever again for this call and in the postseason.
- [40:25]
Ryan Lemon
Yeah.
- [40:26]
Matt Jones
Come on. So just a little heads up of what. What could be to come if we lose tomorrow night. Who's next?
- [40:31]
Mark Anthony.
- [40:33]
Mark Anthony, how are you?
- [40:35]
Caller
Hey, good morning. Matthew Roundrew. Shannon. Hey, Matt. I'm so happy we're going to have another five years. But it brought me to my question. You said that you were on the fence at the end of last season and Mark Pope was announced as the coach, which may have had you lean in a little bit one way until the show the following day when everything was positive. And then the introduction when Rupp was packed, people were going crazy. And a little thing happened. They. They introduced Matt Jones to the crowd and he was warmly received. So tell me, Matt, had that not happened, do you think maybe we wouldn't have another five years? I'll just hang up.
- [41:19]
Matt Jones
It wasn't. I mean, the applause was awesome and I'll remember that for the rest of my life, but that it wasn't that particular thing. So I've talked about this, but I appreciate the call. I get a call on Mark or Mark. Excuse me, John. Cal Peri does his interview with Mitch Barnhart on Tuesday. I think that airs Tuesday night. On Wednesday, I get a phone call that basically says, hey, let's be really careful what's going on, because they're trying to really force our hand. And, you know, we don't have to go into the details of the phone call, but it was not positive. And that night, I talked to one of my friends, and I was like, I think I'm done. You know what? There's no. I'm not gonna fight with this dude for another two years. I'm done. So the next day, I call my boss, and I'm like, you know what? If they push it? Don't worry about it. Just tell him it's fine. I'll. I'm. And he was. And she was like, just wait, wait. You're taking a vacation. Talk about it after the vacation. Don't make a rash decision. And I said, you know, that's probably the right way to look at it. And then three days later, the whole thing changes. And. And it. And all of a sudden, my viewpoint of it flipped. And then once I was on vacation, I was like, yeah, I'd like to do it again.
- [42:37]
Ryan Lemon
I mean, you know, we all had private conversation with you, you, you.
- [42:40]
Matt Jones
I was serious. I mean, people may or may not, but. But, like, again, it's over. And I don't want it to be like, Mario's not here to tape it, so it's not a big deal, but, like, it. Folks don't realize. And it wasn't just me. Folks don't realize what that last year or two was like, the idea that the Internet sometimes acted like. Like everybody just created this out of nowhere. How many people left their jobs in the last two years to get out of that basketball office? We had a lifelong Kentucky fan decide to go to North Carolina. We had one guy get out of the business completely to go work at a blood center. Like, it was bad. Okay, so it worked out really well, I think, for everybody. We're going to take a break and be right back. This is hour number two. This is Kentucky Sports Radio.