2025-06-10- KSR - Hour 1

Summary

KSR Podcast Summary: June 10, 2025 – Hour 1

Hosted by Matt Jones alongside the KSR crew, the June 10, 2025 episode of Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) delves into a significant shakeup within the Kentucky (UK) football program: the departure of long-time assistant coach Vince Merrow to become the General Manager of Louisville football. This move has stirred considerable discussion among hosts, listeners, and sports enthusiasts alike.

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1. Introduction to Vince Merrow's Departure

Matt Jones opens the episode by addressing the unexpected announcement that Vince Merrow is leaving UK to join Louisville. He describes the move as surprising yet impactful, highlighting the potential long-term ramifications for both football programs.

Matt Jones [01:05]: "It is a Murray State baseball that I will mention that because it was exciting, but not yet. We have to talk about the news."

2. Impact on Kentucky Football

The hosts discuss how Merrow's departure affects UK’s football landscape, particularly in recruiting and team perception. Vince Merrow is portrayed as a beloved figure whose move could alter recruitment dynamics and the overall morale of the team.

Matt Jones [04:23]: "He is going to be a symbol, like, the symbolic nature of that, you can't underestimate."

Vince Merrow [05:18]: "I would think it probably does."

3. Relationship Dynamics Between Vince Merrow and Mark Stoops

A significant focus is placed on the professional and personal relationship between Vince Merrow and head coach Mark Stoops. The hosts reveal underlying tensions that may have contributed to Merrow's decision to leave, including disagreements over recruitment authority and team culture.

Matt Jones [10:34]: "Vince thought he didn't get enough credit. Mark thought Vince got too much publicity."

Vince Merrow [16:46]: "The perception of the UK football program now is bad."

4. Louisville's Recruitment Strategy and Rivalry Implications

The move strengthens Louisville's position in local recruiting, potentially marginalizing UK’s efforts to attract top high school talent. This shift intensifies the rivalry between the two programs, with implications for future competitions and fan support.

Matt Jones [05:40]: "Louisville's locked up now. And I think some of these places where we were really getting a bunch of guys like North Harden and stuff like that, that starts to become a little."

5. Listener Reactions and Fan Sentiment

Throughout the episode, callers express strong emotions ranging from disappointment to anger over Merrow's departure. Many blame Mark Stoops for creating an unfavorable environment, while others emphasize their personal frustration with the shift in loyalty.

Caller [27:08]: "I don't blame Vince. This is all on Mark Stoops."

Matt Jones [42:12]: "I still want Ryan personally to have success, but when you coach a sports team, the success is the success of the team. And I'm not cheering for Louisville."

6. Broader Discussion on Team Culture and Leadership

The hosts critique the current leadership style within UK’s football program, suggesting that infighting and shifting loyalties have undermined team unity. They compare the situation to turbulent political environments, emphasizing the need for strong, consistent leadership to restore stability.

Matt Jones [44:24]: "UK football has been that the last few years. It has been a lot of jostling to who can be Mark's favorite, and I think that's been a part of the problem."

7. Addressing Misinformation: The Alex Caruso Incident

In a separate discussion, the hosts tackle the spread of false information regarding NBA player Alex Caruso's alleged arrest. They highlight the dangers of misinformation, emphasizing the importance of fact-checking before spreading unverified news.

Matt Jones [38:11]: "You can't just go around telling people that Alex Caruso's getting arrested for weed if it's not even on television."

8. Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook

As the episode concludes, the hosts reflect on the negative impact of Merrow's departure on UK’s football prospects. They express skepticism about the program's ability to recover swiftly and call for immediate action from the coaching staff to address the emerging challenges.

Matt Jones [30:17]: "We need to hear from our leader. The fan base needs to hear from coach."

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Conclusion

This episode of KSR underscores a pivotal moment for UK football, marked by Vince Merrow's unexpected move to Louisville. The discussion reveals deep-seated issues within the program's leadership and culture, stirring significant concern among fans and contributors. As UK faces the challenge of rebuilding its recruitment and restoring team morale, the KSR crew calls for transparent communication and decisive leadership to navigate the program through this transitional phase.

Notable Quotes:

• Matt Jones [04:23]: "He is going to be a symbol, like, the symbolic nature of that, you can't underestimate."

• Vince Merrow [05:18]: "I would think it probably does."

• Matt Jones [10:34]: "Vince thought he didn't get enough credit. Mark thought Vince got too much publicity."

• Vince Merrow [16:46]: "The perception of the UK football program now is bad."

• Caller [27:08]: "I don't blame Vince. This is all on Mark Stoops."

• Matt Jones [42:12]: "I still want Ryan personally to have success, but when you coach a sports team, the success is the success of the team. And I'm not cheering for Louisville."

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For those seeking comprehensive updates and passionate discussions on Kentucky sports, KSR continues to be a go-to source, offering in-depth analysis and listener engagement from Matt Jones and the dedicated KSR crew.

Transcript

[Ryan Seacrest]

Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and Safeway, now through June 24. Score hot summer savings and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags on items like Sargento cheese slices, best foods, mayonnaise, lay's, party sized chips and snacks and Triscuits. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Enjoy savings on top of savings when you shop in store or online for easy drive up and go pick up or delivery subject to availability restrictions apply. Visit Albertsons or Safeway.com for more details.

[Matt Jones]

Comedy Off Broadway in Lexington welcomes Country Wayne May 30 through June 1, then catch Eric Griffin June 5 through the 7th and don't miss club favorite Greg Morton June 12 through the 14th. 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.

[Shannon the Dude]

Broadway this is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio, Tuesday, June 10th. I am Matt Jones here in studio in Lexington. You can give us Shouting Clark's Puppet shop phone line 859-280-2287. We're not open yet, but we will. The Avision Auto glass text machine is 772-774-5254. In this edition, sponsored by the T.J. smith Law Office, you call T.J. he'll make them pay. I don't think it's a real secret what today's show is going to be about. You know, it is a Murray State baseball that I will mention that because it was exciting, but not yet. We have to talk about the news. Vince Merrow at this point, you know, Vince Merrow has is leaving Kentucky to become the general manager of Louisville football in a move that is one of the more. It's not shocking, but it's one of the more surprising moves that I can remember in Kentucky athletics. It is. It is going to be one that will have ramifications for everybody for a long time for Kentucky football, for Louisville football, for Vance. And you know it is. Look, it'll be. This is one of those, you just say, okay, we can talk about this the whole show. I got all these talk, but we're not going to get to any of them. It's going to be this. I'm going to give a shout out to Murray State. That's the thing. Variety. Lemon is here. Shannon the dude is here. Guys, I was about to go to dinner. I had a friend in town from the fellowship. I'm in from Miami.

[Vince Merrow]

Really?

[Matt Jones]

And we were going to go to dinner last night, and I was going to leave my phone at home. I thought, this dude's here from Miami. Shannon.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

I'm not going to take my phone out.

[Shannon the Dude]

Nothing's happening. It's.

[Matt Jones]

Nothing's going to happen. June. What are we going to do? It's June. I've already talked to my mom earlier today. She knows I'm okay. I'm just going to go ahead and. And then 15 minutes before I leave to walk out the door happens. And so I have to spend the dinner going, hey, man, I'm sorry. I gotta deal with it, you know? Um, so here's my reaction, and then I'll. I'll go to you guys. My reaction was not. I'm not shocked he's leaving. I'm very surprised he's going to Louisville now. Okay. If you had told me in December, he. I actually thought at the end of the year he was going to go somewhere. I didn't think he'd come back for another year. Then I thought Louisville was a real possibility. And I kind of had prepared myself at the beginning of December that he would go to Louisville. You remember, of course, our interview, which Shannon had a clip of at the Pizza Ranch in wherever that was.

[Shannon the Dude]

Iowa City. Iowa City, like it was yesterday.

[Matt Jones]

Terrible interview by him every time. Terrible interview.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah, it was.

[Matt Jones]

But he ends up staying. And so I am surprised this happens in June. He goes to Louisville. I'm going to look at it from, like, three different angles. First of all, the angle for UK football, it's a big loss. It's a loss in terms of recruiting. Although it would have been a worse loss three or four years ago. Pre Nil.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Because Nil does do a little bit of what he used to do. I still think he matters, but, like, it used to be, if he had left, there wouldn't be a roster. I don't think that's true anymore. But it does matter. But it matters even more from a perception standpoint. Right? I mean, this was the. In some ways, the face of your program. Mark Stoops, I guess, is the face. But if he's one, Vince is 1A, right? In my opinion, the most beloved coach, Most beloved assistant UK coach ever.

[Vince Merrow]

Ever.

[Matt Jones]

Any sport, period.

[Vince Merrow]

I don't think there's even a debate.

[Matt Jones]

Maybe Joe Biden when he was assistant. Maybe Toby.

[Vince Merrow]

That's a good one.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. Maybe Leonard Hamilton, for A little while.

[Vince Merrow]

But Vince, by far, most beloved assistant coach.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, certainly since I've been doing it. Most beloved assistant coach. And he leaves. And he leaves his friend. And the symbol, like, the symbolic nature of that, you can't. You can't underestimate. So that's number one. Number two is for the Kentucky, Louisville dynamic. This the rivalry Louisville gets. The guy who took in state recruiting from Louisville. He and John Summerall took in state recruiting from Louisville. Had had it for a period of time.

[Vince Merrow]

Yep.

[Matt Jones]

Kentucky took it back. And not only did Kentucky take back the state, they took Louisville. I mean, we had six or eight years where we were getting the best players from Louisville, and now they take him back. I don't know what it'll affect it will have on the state as a whole, but it probably shuts the door on the city of Louisville. Would you agree with that?

[Vince Merrow]

I would think it probably does.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know about the rest of the state. We'll have to see.

[Vince Merrow]

I know up Louisville now they're.

[Matt Jones]

That Louisville's locked up now. And I think some of these places where we were really getting a bunch of guys like North Harden and stuff like that, that starts to become a little.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah, for sure.

[Matt Jones]

Third, Vince, I mean, you know, I've known him a long time. Consider him a good friend. I don't. I don't really understand what Vince is doing. I don't. I don't get it. Just on a personal level, I don't really get it. You know, I know he really likes Jeff Brahm, so that part makes sense to me. And I know he was very frustrated the last couple years here, and that part gets me. But that dude had a job here for life if he wanted it.

[Vince Merrow]

Oh, yes.

[Matt Jones]

If Mark Stoops got fired, they would have kept Vince Merrill somehow. His biggest donor is maybe his best friend.

[Vince Merrow]

That's very true.

[Matt Jones]

The athletic director really likes mint. He married the president's personal assistant. You know what I mean? Like, pretty deep roots in the uk. I mean, pretty deep roots in the University of Kentucky world. And then you leave to go down the street to the rival. You can't undo that. Like, that's. That's done now. Like, he'll never ever be looked at the same way again here. Rick patino. It took 20 years for us to even put him back in the building. And he took a break between the two schools.

[Caller]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

Vince went directly there. And as Rick Patino would tell you, it can be really good at Louisville. It can. They have a lot of ways to make Life really good, but it's not the same as it is here. They care, but they don't care like we do. And ask Ripertino that. He's the only person that's experienced both.

[Vince Merrow]

True.

[Matt Jones]

You can have it really good there, but it's not the same as owning the city of Lexington. You're one of a bunch of things in Louisville. You're the thing here. So I was surprised. Ryan. I think it's terrible for UK football. I don't really understand it for Vince. And one of the more surprising things we've seen happen since I've been doing this.

[Vince Merrow]

You know, I purposely didn't call you last night so we could have our conversation right now on the air.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Vince Merrow]

I'm telling you, man, caught me completely off guard. I mean, this whole timing of this is just kind of blows my mind a little bit. He just had a huge recruiting weekend at Kentucky last weekend.

[Matt Jones]

He offered a guy Sunday. I know, because I know the person's family. He offered a guy for Kentucky Sunday.

[Vince Merrow]

So you had this huge recruiting weekend for uk. Make an offer, and then the next day you're going to leave to leave your. Your friend, the guy you've been with from day one here. And you're not just leaving, you're leaving to go to his rival. I mean, it completely changes the landscape of UK football completely right now.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, it does. And it's. I mean, you have to wonder at some point, Shannon. Okay, so what happened? Yeah, I mean, at the end of the day, that's what everybody wants to know. What happened? First of all, what are your thoughts? And then I'm going to give you the timeline up to what I know, because I really don't know what's happened in the last three days, but go ahead.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah. Yeah. So December 2nd, Pizza Ranch, when we had him on, I think it all started there. You could tell something was off in his demeanor when he came on and did that interview.

[Matt Jones]

I want you to pull that clip.

[Shannon the Dude]

And I don't think that you put. I don't think he did himself any favor by doing that, but this feels like something that has been brewing for a long time, possibly going back to that. So six, seven months ago.

[Matt Jones]

It goes back before that.

[Shannon the Dude]

And this.

[Matt Jones]

It goes back before.

[Shannon the Dude]

And this kind of honestly feels like a sinking ship at Kentucky when you're number two, guy who is best friends with your head coach leaves to go to your rival. I think there's big problems going on behind the scenes. But I have that clip if you want to play it Here.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Let me lead into the clip and then have you play.

[Shannon the Dude]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

All right, so let's go back to the Stoops. Vince, relationship, great friends.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know if I would say best friends, but very good friends. Okay. Known each other forever. Relationship has always been one of friends, but friends who fight. Would you agree with that?

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah. Kind of like brothers, you know, you have your disagreements, but then you make up.

[Matt Jones]

But you fight a little bit more than I think most. Like, you and I are like brothers and we fought a couple times.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

But we don't fight consistent.

[Ryan Seacrest]

No.

[Vince Merrow]

Then we kiss and make up, move on to the next one.

[Matt Jones]

They fight a little more than that. Okay. And they always have. I got a story I'll tell later in the show. I'm going to finally tell the Michigan story.

[Vince Merrow]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

Just because I think we can now. Right. But there was always a little bit of. Vince didn't think he got enough credit. Mark thought Vince got too much publicity. Do you agree with that?

[Vince Merrow]

I think that's very fair.

[Matt Jones]

I think that's always been the case. Vince thought he didn't get enough credit.

[Vince Merrow]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

Mark thought he got too much.

[Vince Merrow]

Too much credit.

[Matt Jones]

I think that it's just that masculine, like, brrr thing, Right?

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

I still think, though, it was a very good working relationship for a long time. And then a couple years ago, it felt like it really started to sour. It felt like, to me, a lot of the conversations that used to be kind of half laughing about each other became more serious. I think you got to point it back to about a year and a half or two years ago. Vince kind of got his authority as we will take who you want in recruiting kind of got it taken away. Eddie grand became. Especially when it came to the portal. Eddie makes these decisions. It culminated in last year's class of transfers, which was mostly an Eddie class was disappointing some of them.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Right. And then I think that led Vince to kind of say, okay, can we go back to. And then being told no. And this new class, I think, reflected Eddie's vision, the one we have coming in this year, even more than the last year's. And I think Vince saw his authority, or his authority may not be the word, but his kind of being the final dude on recruiting, going away. And then the. A lot of stoops. His new assistants have done a lot of their own recruiting. Now, Nick Roush said that Vince was told he couldn't recruit Ohio anymore.

[Zoe Saldana]

Anymore.

[Matt Jones]

I'm not saying that's wrong. I've. He. I've Never been told that. But that could be true. I don't know. That would seem like a bizarre decision.

[Vince Merrow]

He used to kill Ohio.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, that used to be what he'd have Vince do if he's not going to recruit Ohio. That's exactly what he does.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

But there's no doubt to me that it had gotten to a bad point. To the point I thought he was going to leave. I didn't think he was going to go to Louisville, but I thought he was going to go to one of these other jobs. Michigan, Michigan and Michigan State have always been one I thought might happen. And then Louisville came after him. He decided to stay. But, Shannon, to your point, I wonder if he kind of wished he had gone.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Because when he decided to stay, I asked him to come on the show and he did. And you remember, even before this clip we're going to play, he was kind of hemming and hauling.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes, he was.

[Matt Jones]

And so then I asked him this, do you. I mean, I do think it's. I just wanted to make sure everybody's clear. You expect to be in Lexington next year? Yes. Yep. Yes. I mean, convincing answer.

[Shannon the Dude]

Second hesitation says everything to me.

[Matt Jones]

You called it at the time. I say, didn't you?

[Vince Merrow]

Wrong.

[Shannon the Dude]

I don't. I don't. Something's not on the up and up.

[Matt Jones]

Here that he was not the same in that interview. He just wasn't. He was not the same. And, you know, then, to be honest with you, we got caught up in the Mark Pope stuff. Right. December, January, February. I would see Vince and talk to him, but I really didn't talk to him about football because it was like I was excited about basketball. And then I went to Amsterdam, and I'll be honest with you, I hadn't talked with you. I actually thought to myself on Monday, you know, I haven't talked to Vince long time.

[Vince Merrow]

I don't think I've talked to him since March Madness. We saw him up in Indianapolis.

[Matt Jones]

That's the last time. I said, I think that's the last time.

[Vince Merrow]

Last time I've talked to him.

[Matt Jones]

And so I was. He even thought to myself, yeah, I'm about to catch up with him some time. I didn't know it was going to be like this, but clearly it fell apart. The whole thing, though, about him doing the weekend.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Offering people and then leaving. Makes me wonder, like, what went down on Sunday and Monday.

[Vince Merrow]

Exactly.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, something had to. I mean, it's June. It's not December.

[Vince Merrow]

It's weird timing. Stuff like this usually happens. In January, after the seasons are over and the bowl seasons are over. It happens early for assistant coaches.

[Matt Jones]

So I have a really good Louisville source. So when I saw the Louisville report, because the Louisville report beat the Thammel Report, I contacted that person and said, you know, is this happening? And the person said to me, well, I thought it was going to happen in December, but yeah, I don't know anything about it now. And then it broke 20 minutes later.

[Vince Merrow]

Wow.

[Matt Jones]

Which means I think this came together really quick.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Like really. I think they've been courtney for a long time, but the decision to do it happened really quick.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah, I think it's been in the works for a long time. But why did all of a sudden it come to a head and happen after this major recruiting weekend?

[Matt Jones]

Here's what I thought was going to happen. This is what I thought was going to happen. I thought Mark was going to coach this year. Either he was going to have success, and then I thought Vince would go somewhere else because Mark would have kind of had success his way with. With Eddie kind of in charge of recruiting.

[Vince Merrow]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

Or Vince was going to leave like Mark was going to get let go. And then Vince might ended up staying here with the next coach.

[Vince Merrow]

Would he even consider for the head coach here?

[Matt Jones]

No, I don't think so. Which I think also was a frustration.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

But I think he would have potentially had the role he's going to have at Louisville here with the next coach and. But I thought they were going to play this year out and see what happened. And in the Mark Vince relationship, in four months, they might have a completely. They flipped all the time. Like they might have grown close again.

[Vince Merrow]

That's true.

[Matt Jones]

You know, you never know, but you.

[Vince Merrow]

Hit it on earlier. The perception of the UK football program now is bad. You can see that interview with Vince. They didn't make a bowl game. You lose. Dane Barion, your starting quarterback, retires from football.

[Matt Jones]

That's a bad one.

[Vince Merrow]

You make a controversial move with your O line coach. Now you lose Vince Merrill. I mean, all that.

[Matt Jones]

It's bad. It's bad. Nothing positive about it. No one can spin this as a good thing now. Do I think it's like crippling, like it would have been four or five years ago? Actually, no. Even though I love Vince, think he's very talented, it's a different recruiting world now, but there's no doubt it's a terrible. It's a terrible thing. So I want to discuss more about it. We're going to open up the phones at 10:30 I want to hear what people say. Like, are people done with Vince? Like, is he, like, now? Persona non grata. What does this do for Stoops? It's wild. And we'll take a break. Barry backs ksr.

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[Zoe Saldana]

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[Zoe Saldana]

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[Zoe Saldana]

I don't really have much in my purse. Oh, let's see. Hand sanitizer. It's lavender.

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[Zoe Saldana]

Let me check this pocket. Oh, mints.

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[Zoe Saldana]

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[Ryan Seacrest]

Cancel CT mobile.com Hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and safeway. Now through June 24th. Score hot summer savings and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags on items like Pringles, Ritz crackers and chips, sliced soda, Wonder buns and bread and natural choice lunch meat. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Shop in store or online for easy drive up and go. Pickup or delivery subject to availability restrictions apply. Visit Albertsons or Safeway.com for more details.

[Matt Jones]

So do we have to cut? So we call him the little dog now? Shannon. That's what Drew. If Drew was here, Drew certainly would.

[Shannon the Dude]

He did. We had somebody call him the dirty dog.

[Matt Jones]

The dirty dog.

[Vince Merrow]

He's the dirty dog now. He's a dirty dog.

[Matt Jones]

Dirty dog.

[Vince Merrow]

I mean, we all gonna like Vince. We all want him to fail now, right?

[Matt Jones]

I'm gonna boo him every day. And I like him personally, but I am disappointed. I mean, I'm not gonna. I'm not gonna. He's my friend. I'm not gonna hate the guy, but I'm not. Not happy about it. And I think all these coaches make the same mistake. They think Rick did the same thing. They think people are going to follow him. And it ain't happening.

[Vince Merrow]

Nope. There's not.

[Matt Jones]

There's not one person out there who's going to start cheering for Louisville now.

[Vince Merrow]

Because events went there.

[Matt Jones]

No way you could love Vince. It ain't happening.

[Vince Merrow]

I got a bunch of questions. Can I ask him?

[Matt Jones]

Yes.

[Vince Merrow]

Did the. The ruling on the House bill have any effect in the timing of the announcement?

[Matt Jones]

That I don't know. I have no idea.

[Vince Merrow]

Like, I didn't know if they were.

[Matt Jones]

Waiting, so I haven't really talked to him. I talked to him. Like, I texted him when I heard the rumor. He just said something like, what are you talking about? Like, just not. Not like he was saying he did. Like, my text really wasn't clear. And then the story broke. And, you know, I thought about asking him to come on here, but then I thought, well, what's that going to be like?

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

You know, and the reality is he needs to do a Louisville show.

[Vince Merrow]

Should do a little show today.

[Matt Jones]

Should do a Louisville show today. It's not a good sign if your first show is a Kentucky show. No, you should do a Louisville show.

[Vince Merrow]

Because we're not going to be easy on him today.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, like, again, he's their guy now.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes, he is.

[Matt Jones]

Like, he's their guy now.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah. If you go to a Kentucky show, it makes it like, you're still there at Kentucky. You're not at Kentucky anymore. You have to move on.

[Matt Jones]

You are. He's a Louisville guy now. Yeah, this. I mean, he threw Ls down for years. Now he's. Ls up. Like, that's what you are now. Like, that's what you decided to be. We'll still. I'm still your friend. Like, I'm still gonna. You know, when I see you give you hugs, talk, I. I love the guy. But you know what? You. That's. You're. You're him now. You're parent.

[Vince Merrow]

You're parent.

[Matt Jones]

I still love parent.

[Vince Merrow]

But we ain't on the same team.

[Matt Jones]

Parent at this point. Right.

[Vince Merrow]

I bet Vince is listening, though, today.

[Matt Jones]

I'm sure he is. And he knows that we all love him. But you decided to be on that other side.

[Vince Merrow]

We want you to fail now. We like you.

[Matt Jones]

I want you to lose every game. Yep. And I want you to lose Every game badly. And that's. It. Could have been any other team. You could have gone to any other team, and I would have. They might have been my second favorite team. But you. But you can't go to Louisville and you can't go to Tennessee, so you went to Louisville. I told him back in December or November, whenever it was, that this was kind of percolate. I said, if you go there, I will hope you lose every game. And I don't think you should. For X, y, and z. Reason.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. I mean, I'm sure he had friends telling him he should go. Like, he said, that's fine. But now you're a Louisville guy, and.

[Shannon the Dude]

You'Re a Louisville man.

[Matt Jones]

You know, these colors. These colors don't run right. You know, I. I have friends who are awesome people. I would never vote for them because they just, like. It's a different thing what you think and what I think.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

The sports equivalent of that is this, and it just is. And by the way, everyone listening thinks the same thing.

[Vince Merrow]

Sure.

[Matt Jones]

No one's becoming a Louisville fan.

[Vince Merrow]

No.

[Matt Jones]

So, you know, enjoy Captain Suntan. Like, Captain Suntan now is the Louisville. Jeff Ruby's gonna be happy. Lexington. Jeff Ruby's gonna be sad.

[Shannon the Dude]

It all goes to the same place, doesn't it?

[Matt Jones]

That's true. Jeff Ruby's still happy either way.

[Vince Merrow]

The general manager.

[Matt Jones]

Manager, though, now has to be like, what about our budget?

[Vince Merrow]

He's high five. And people, I got some more questions.

[Matt Jones]

Okay.

[Vince Merrow]

Six of the top 10 high school football players in Kentucky had already committed to Louisville.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I don't think he. I. I feel Vince wouldn't have been, like, recruiting for a little. I don't think that would.

[Vince Merrow]

Do they. Have they been telling these recruits Vince is coming?

[Matt Jones]

I mean, they could have. I don't know. I mean, I have no idea. But I know he was recruited. I know a person being recruited, and Vince was actively recruiting them to Kentucky this weekend. So, you know, I don't know. I'm sure.

[Shannon the Dude]

I'm sure those conversations have been going on, though.

[Matt Jones]

I'm sure they have to. I'm sure they have two.

[Shannon the Dude]

And Vince has to play it straight. Like, he still has to continue to do his job because events just stop recruiting. They'd be like, what? What's up, man? Like, you just wonder.

[Matt Jones]

We have no official visit scheduled for people from Ohio.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

I literally had on my. On my book yesterday that one of the topics I wanted to talk about, and we didn't get to it because we had important things to talk about. Like the zebra and, and, and then the CMAs. But that, in hindsight was a sign. Ryan, when we have no official visit scheduled for people from Ohio, which used.

[Vince Merrow]

To be his backyard, we used to kill it.

[Matt Jones]

Bringing out kids from Ohio. Right. That was a sign.

[Vince Merrow]

Do you think the way they handled Wolford played any factor in Vince's frustration?

[Matt Jones]

I don't think he and Wolford were like, close, but I don't think that has anything to do with it. Here's one thing I will say for Mitch Barnhart and to some extent Stoops too. They did everything over the. Like, they gave him. Any time he wanted to raise, they gave it. He's the highest paid tight end coach in the country.

[Vince Merrow]

In the history of college football, probably.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, they did every. He wanted to do this. More power to him, but they did. You can't. Mitch Barnhart did everything he could. Every time he asked for something, he got it.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

So I don't know what else UK could have done. All right. 859-280-2287. Open up the phones. We'll be right back.

[Zoe Saldana]

TJ Smith, personal injury attorney.

[Matt Jones]

Call TJ.

[Zoe Saldana]

He'll make him pay.

[Shannon the Dude]

Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones.

[Matt Jones]

Thank you to Stephen A. For distracting me during that commercial with whatever it is he's wearing on television. What was that hat? He took it off. Hopefully that was it. Hopefully he didn't come to work. Maybe it was the other guy's hat.

[Vince Merrow]

Well, I told you that, you know, he saw you and Myron wearing your cowboy hats on Broadway.

[Matt Jones]

First of all, it's not a cowboy hat. And secondly. Well, never mind. I mean, I didn't. What is he wearing? All right, 859-280-2287. I do want to see. So we got people on here. I want to see a quick. Like, what's your take? I, I want like 30 seconds, okay. Because I want to get to people. So, like 30 seconds of. Do you. Do you blame Vince? Do you blame, you know, you blame Stoops, you blame, you know, Mitch? Or are you just like, like, what's your take? Let me ask you one thing before I go to it, though. Fan base, how do you think they feel about Vince going forward? This was the most beloved assistant we had. If I went and did a poll today, what would they say about it?

[Vince Merrow]

I think it's a punch to the stomach to the fan base. And now they. They're going to say exactly what we said. You like the guy, but you Want him to go fail and forever. I. I think my. My loyalty to Vince has changed forever. And I think a lot of fan base probably feel the same way. You left us to go to Louisville. I'm kind of done with you. I like you, but I'm kind of done with you.

[Matt Jones]

So you think people who have, like, done. Yeah, I think there's me. A lot of people feel that way. People are going to be frustrated at Mark that it happened, and they're frustrated Mark in general.

[Vince Merrow]

Sure.

[Matt Jones]

But I think they're also going to be frustrated. This could be a weird situation. Like when Cal left, I thought both sides ended up being better off because of it.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes, I agree, Shannon.

[Matt Jones]

I think with this. Both sides are going to be worse off because of it.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

This is going to be less happy there, whether he realizes it or not.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

And this is bad for Mark, too.

[Shannon the Dude]

And I know how fans are going to react. I just took an hour. Hour of calls before.

[Matt Jones]

All right, well, let's go, Adam. Go for it, Adam. 30 seconds. Put that shot clock on. Go for it. Go.

[Caller]

Hey, Matt. This was like the. The hogan is the third man. The John Cena turning hill.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah.

[Caller]

I mean, there's no positive. He is jumping off a sinking.

[Shannon the Dude]

Shit.

[Caller]

I don't blame Vince. This is all on Mark Stoops. We have heard nothing from him. It's. We are going back to the Joker era, and there's nothing stopping it. So I hope John Summerall is on line one.

[Matt Jones]

All right, let's go to Jerry. Go ahead, Jerry.

[Caller]

Well, the first thing I would say is I don't blame Vince a bit. I expected something like this. When I listen to Ross Dillinger on your podcast talking about that Kentucky was against equalizing the money and that a lot of money is going to basketball. Kentucky wasn't going to have the money that other SEC schools have. And I expected something like this. And this is the last thing that showed him out the door. He. He already had a foot out the door. This was it. And I'll give. I hate Louisville. I'll give them credit. Ever since they hired Snowberger, they've made football priority for Kentucky.

[Matt Jones]

All right, all right, all right. I do have to say this. I appreciate the call. I think that's a very valid point about. There may be worries about investment, football, et cetera. He went to Louisville. Okay. This I understand. I understand him leaving. I can't believe I'm the one saying this. You understand him going to Louisville.

[Vince Merrow]

Can't.

[Matt Jones]

You can't go to Louisville.

[Vince Merrow]

Nope.

[Matt Jones]

You Can't. I'm sorry. Like, I'm a little disappointed in you, Jerry. You're one of the biggest Louisville haters. I know the. I understand. I understand him leaving. I understand him leaving a sinking ship. Louisville. Let's not go soft on Louisville. When did it become okay to go to Louisville?

[Vince Merrow]

It is not. It is not okay.

[Shannon the Dude]

These are different callers than we had.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Who are you all? Jerry, you've called him for 10 years, hating Louisville. I mean, we. How many people have gone to Louisville? Straight from Kentucky. Marvin Stone.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Isaiah Cummings and zampaging. And at least it was to follow his dad. That's it. I can't think of another one like you two were soft. Jerry, I am disappointed in you.

[Vince Merrow]

You bring up a good point. What if Vince had gone to Michigan State?

[Matt Jones]

Fine. I would have. I would have understood. And it would all be on Mark, in my opinion.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes, but the fact you went to Louisville, now it's on.

[Matt Jones]

You went to Louisville. It's still someone, Mark. But he chose to go to Louisville.

[Vince Merrow]

Agreed.

[Matt Jones]

Steve. Go ahead, Steve.

[Caller]

Yeah, I'm. I'm really more upset about what this says about the state of the Kentucky football program now and going forward. I think it's bad, bad, bad.

[Matt Jones]

I don't disagree with that. I appreciate the call. It is bad. It's bad in a lot of levels. It's bad that we got this year, and we feel like a sinking shit. Mark Stoop should be. Mark Stoop should honestly be on the show today.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes, he should.

[Matt Jones]

And if he's not going to be on the show today, he needs to be somewhere today. Like, you can't just let this linger with no comments. I mean, I hope they don't think he can just say nothing over the course of this next week. I hope they don't think that's a good plan.

[Vince Merrow]

We need to hear from our leader. The fan base needs to hear from coach.

[Matt Jones]

Come on and be like, we're going.

[Vince Merrow]

To be okay, man. I got great plans. We're going to be better than ever.

[Shannon the Dude]

Sight you know the story straight now. Then the media is going to create their own narrative.

[Matt Jones]

What did I say three years about Cal? The void is going to be filled with something. You want it to be filled with you.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

You don't want other people filling the void because the void is going to get filled. These stories are only going to continue. Cliff. Go ahead, Cliff.

[Caller]

I wanted to know if you think he was listening to Shannon when y' all were down in Somerset doing the PO and seeing how much money should.

[Matt Jones]

Go into basketball and football.

[Caller]

But, like, realistically big money talk.

[Matt Jones]

It is Shannon's fault.

[Shannon the Dude]

Shannon, I have a heel.

[Matt Jones]

You did this.

[Vince Merrow]

You are a heel.

[Matt Jones]

Now go ahead. Repeat your point, sir.

[Caller]

So money talks. How much money is he getting to be the gm? Is it more than what he was getting at Kentucky? And that's. That's it.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know. I appreciate the call. I. I don't know if he met. Maybe he's getting more money. It can't be. I mean, I appreciate the call. They're not giving him. I mean, he's paying $1.3 million.

[Vince Merrow]

Is he getting that pro?

[Matt Jones]

Maybe? Yeah, but I can't imagine they're giving him like $2 million. I mean, Louisville doesn't have the money to pay their players next year yet.

[Shannon the Dude]

I think it's roughly the same.

[Matt Jones]

Is it?

[Shannon the Dude]

From everything that I've heard and read. Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. So this is just. He chose that.

[Vince Merrow]

And it's a three year deal. So he's got a little job security for three years. Maybe he didn't have job security here.

[Matt Jones]

He had the job here as long as he wanted to have it.

[Vince Merrow]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

I can tell you that. Yeah, he would have outlasted Mark, probably so. If he. If he wanted to be, he. I said this on my Twitter space. He could have had a job as an ambassador for the school when he didn't even want to be part of football.

[Vince Merrow]

And think about that. But you're right.

[Matt Jones]

He could have had a job here for life. And he chose not to. Which says either it was so bad he felt like he had to leave, or he just made a choice that I think was poor. At the same time, though, he went to Louisville. He didn't go to Michigan State. He went to Louisville. Let's not go soft. Luke. What's up, Luke?

[Caller]

Hey, Matt. I went to the South Carolina game last year, and I told myself, you know, with this culture around the football program, it'd be hard for me to go back to another football game. One, how much do you think Vince's. The rumors with Vince affected the culture last year. And two, I mean, if there's any game I want to go to, it's against Louisville this year to boo against him. And those good, no good, dirty.

[Matt Jones]

Now that's better.

[Vince Merrow]

That's better.

[Matt Jones]

That's better. I don't blame Vince for the culture. I don't. I don't. I blame Mark for the culture. Last year, you're the leader there. Vince brought in a lot of dudes that were a little Questionable over the years that they made work.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Lynn Bowden. They made that stuff work.

[Vince Merrow]

Yep.

[Matt Jones]

So I'm not going to all of a sudden say because last year didn't work. It was on the same guy that's been there forever doing. Mark's in charge. If the culture around KSR gets bad, it isn't Ryan's fault. It's Matt's fault, not Ryan's. Even if Ryan was the person who hired Mario and Billy when they become. It's not. It's my job to keep the culture good. It's on Mark. So I'm not. I'm not blaming Vince for the culture of the program. That's on Mark. Mike. What's up, Mike?

[Caller]

Hey, Matt. How you doing?

[Matt Jones]

Good.

[Caller]

Okay. I just. Real quick. And I'm not going to try to make this too long, but I was.

[Matt Jones]

30 seconds. You got to make it real quick.

[Caller]

Okay. Season ticket holder, starting 83. But Jerry Claiborne came aboard. 82, actually. I love football. Love Kentucky football. I. I live in Louisville. I gotta, you know. Okay. Well, anyway, the only thing I'm saying is it always seems worth sh.

[Matt Jones]

Pull the trigger a little quick, sir. I'm gonna give you 10 seconds to make your point quickly.

[Caller]

Okay. Louisville can plug in in the ACC and go from right in a top three team right away because they don't have no competition. We will never get that.

[Matt Jones]

That is a good point. And there is a part of this where you got a better chance to win big at Louisville than you do Kentucky, but I don't. Yeah, but you're at Louisville. Let me ask you a question. How many head coaches are going to leave the SEC to go the acc? Probably very, very few. Very few. So I do think that's true. It's easier to win at Louisville now than it is Kentucky to win your.

[Vince Merrow]

Conference and maybe get a chance to play at the playoffs.

[Matt Jones]

You know what? Coaches still are coming to the sec. They're not leaving the sec.

[Vince Merrow]

That's right.

[Matt Jones]

So big boy football, when you look at you in the mirror in the morning, do you have spots on your skin that worry you? Are there areas that you don't. They're not healing. You need to get them looked at. It's the Kentucky Skin Cancer Center. The experts there will have to help you there in Owensboro, Bowling Green, Franklin and Powderley. They'll give you a quick checkup to make sure you're okay. You also can get a facial and all the things that we did when we were there. It's the Kentucky skin Cancer center. They've treated over 40,000 patients. They're kind, great staff, help you ease your mind. It's the Kentucky skin cancer Center, Kentuckyskin cancer center.com or 270842. 1999. I was worried our group had gone soft, Mario. When everybody was like, it's Louisville.

[Vince Merrow]

People are like, saying they don't blame Vince.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Feel free to be mad at Mark. Feel free to be worried about the future of the program. But this whole, like, well, I would have gone too. Well, Jerry then called Diener. Be right back.

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[Zoe Saldana]

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[Matt Jones]

Not right now.

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[Zoe Saldana]

I feel like I have to give you something in return for karma.

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[Matt Jones]

Hmm.

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[Zoe Saldana]

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[Vince Merrow]

If you pay off earlier.

[Ryan Seacrest]

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[Matt Jones]

What a song choice it is. Kentucky sports radio. All right, I'm gonna go right back to Vince. We are cooked. However, as a society, as Mario just proved to me. Mario just came on this airwave Shannon or came on at the break and said, you see Alex Caruso got arrested for weed. I was like, well, why is it not on espn? They're in the NBA Finals. Why would that not be on espn? He goes, I don't know. It was on Twitter. I was like, no, it's not. And I hadn't seen one. I was like, I know that's not true. It would be on ESPN right now. And he goes, yeah, it is. And then he looked it up, couldn't find. He goes, wait a minute, wait a minute. It's on Facebook.

[Shannon the Dude]

That's even Mario's.

[Matt Jones]

You can't believe stuff, man. That's what old people are supposed to do, is see it on Facebook and believe it. You are young. I was scrolling through Twitter and I seen his mug shot. And then that was action when he saw his mug shot.

[Vince Merrow]

Photoshop.

[Matt Jones]

Photoshop. You heard AI New thing or maybe.

[Shannon the Dude]

Something from a long time ago.

[Matt Jones]

That's exactly what it was.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

So why did you believe that? You were just quoting that. You are in the news. You can't just go around telling people the Alex Caruso's getting arrested for weed if it's not even on television. It was old news. I guess it was non news. It didn't happen. At least not today. You even made it. He even made up details. He said it happened last night after practice. Where did you get that? That's what I saw in the post in Facebook.

[Shannon the Dude]

90% of Facebook is lies.

[Matt Jones]

Unbelievable that we are. We are cooked as a society when people are like.

[Vince Merrow]

He sounded so convincing too. And he said, you know, just give an example.

[Matt Jones]

You know, I saw this story. You know, you got all that stuff going in la, and they said they were mobilizing Marines or National Guard or something to go to la. I haven't really followed it that closely, but I saw a picture and they were like, all these Marines, like, sleeping on the floor. And I was like, that's awful. That outrages me. We shouldn't be sending Marines anyway. Certainly not to sleep on the floor. And then I realized it was a picture from Afghanistan in 2020. And it almost got me. But you know what I did, Mario? I looked to make sure it was right.

[Shannon the Dude]

Fact check. I fact check, found another source.

[Matt Jones]

You didn't fact check it.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

You just cited Facebook. You can't be doing that. All right, Jesse, go ahead. Jesse, 30 seconds.

[Caller]

I just. Matt, I just had one of the most cathartic moments of my life. I Just saw Vince Mero in Frankfurt leaving Duncan, and I got to give.

[Matt Jones]

Him.

[Caller]

Much better now.

[Matt Jones]

Wait, is that true? Jesse, you went to the Dunkin donuts and gave. Ls down to Vince Merrill. Phone's going away. Of course. All right. I appreciate the call.

[Vince Merrow]

I want to believe that. I want to believe his story.

[Matt Jones]

I'd be interested. Yeah. I wonder if there's a way to know he's in Frankfurt. He likes Dunkin Donuts, though. I could see.

[Vince Merrow]

And Frankfurt's kind of in the middle.

[Matt Jones]

I appreciate the call. That's. I'm going to give that more credibility than what Mario saw on Facebook. Amy, what do you think? Hey, Matt.

[Zoe Saldana]

So I agree that Mark is the leader of the team, but Vince holds a lot of power, too, so he still can be accountable for some of the culture. So that I think he has to be blamed as well for that. Second, dude, you sold your soul. If, like you said, he has a job after March and he can stay and be with Kentucky, you went ahead and sold your soul a year too early. I'm done with you.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. I. Yeah, Again, metaphorically, that's what I think. From a friendship wise, he's still my friend, but I'm wanting to go. Oh, and 12.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Like, somebody wrote me on. On the. On this text machine here, and they said, matt, I wish Vince the best. I hope for him to have success. He gave us a lot a good time here. I hope for him to have success as a human being. I want him to be happy. I want him to have a great life. But I want him to lose every game, Shannon. Like, every game.

[Shannon the Dude]

I had to, you know, set Billy straight on the pre show. He was like, you know, no, I'm gonna be, you know, pulling for me. You can't pull for me.

[Matt Jones]

Wait a minute. Billy's fired?

[Vince Merrow]

You gone?

[Shannon the Dude]

I. I said the same.

[Vince Merrow]

You're gone.

[Shannon the Dude]

Like, I like Vince as a person, personally. Love the guy, but professionally, no, I'm not going to be cheering for him professionally.

[Matt Jones]

Ryan became the host of Louisville Sports Radio lsr. I want him to tank in the ratings.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

I wish for him success in life. If he hosts any other. Well, actually, I don't want him to tank in the ratings. I want them to lose every game, and people not want to listen because they stink. I still want Ryan personally to have success, but when you coach a sports team, the success is the success of the team. And I'm not cheering for Louisville. I was disappointed in Andy Bashir. Andy, what are you doing wearing a Louisville hat in A Louisville shirt. Okay. You're a Kentucky fan. I understand. You're the governor. You can't go to the game and throw. Ls down.

[Vince Merrow]

But you don't have to wear Cardinal stuff.

[Matt Jones]

You don't have to wear Cardinals, though. Yeah, right. That's the thing. Don't be Hillary Clinton with the Yankees hat. When you grew up a Cubs fan. Like, you can't do that. Am I wrong about that?

[Vince Merrow]

No. Dead on.

[Matt Jones]

He can go to the game for Louisville. He can shake their hand.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes. Congratulations.

[Matt Jones]

Wearing a Louisville hat. Unless you're a Louisville fan.

[Vince Merrow]

Yes.

[Matt Jones]

Mitch McConnell, Louisville fan. I don't want to see him in a Kentucky game. Kentucky hat.

[Vince Merrow]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

You're your team. I can guarantee you this. If I was governor, you think I'm wearing a Louisville hat.

[Vince Merrow]

No.

[Matt Jones]

No. Now, I'm not going to. Ls down Louisville, and I'll shake their hand and I'll advocate for their university and I'd try to get them in a conference that would help them because that's good for the state. But am I cheering for them? No.

[Vince Merrow]

Can't. Can't.

[Matt Jones]

Same thing here.

[Vince Merrow]

I got another question I got to ask you. When Kentucky football was rolling, Vince at his peak, why would they take away some of that control and not. They took away Ohio and handed over a lot of stuff to Eddie. Why would they do that when they were at its peak?

[Matt Jones]

It was Nick Roush, I think Nick Roush said this. He compared it to Game of Thrones, and he's right about that. There are two different leadership styles, Right? There's the we do what I say. False. I take advice. I make the decision that was like the Obama, George W. Bush leaders. I'm gonna listen to all y' all. But once the decision's made, it's made. Then there is the I'll listen to different people based on what mood I'm in. Right. That's kind of the Biden and the Trump way of doing. Now, there are virtues to each of them. There. There are negatives to each of em. But when you're the second one, you create a Game of Thrones situation where everyone's jostling to be close to the leader and they're kind of stabbing each other to try to get to the leader. In the first situation, you know who's in charge? There's no stabbing each other. They're in charge.

[Vince Merrow]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

In the second situation, there's always like a no, me, me, me and bat. And then there's like, a lot of infighting. If you read about the Biden White House. If you read about the Trump White House, that's what happened. UK football has been that the last few years. It has. It's been a lot of jostling to who can be Mark's favorite, and I think that's been a part of the problem. I'll expand more on that in the next hour because I do think that's an issue. We'll be right back. Horsepower zero to 60 times. These are among the benchmarks when considering a new vehicle. But Lexus believes there are some things immeasurable things that matter more Awe. Exhilaration. Joy. How a cabin feels like it was crafted with you in mind. The way an engine note resonates with your soul. Because a car that doesn't make you feel something is a car that stops short of amazing. That's the standard of amazing Lexus experience. Amazing.

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[Ryan Seacrest]

See details@t mobile.com hey, it's Ryan Seacrest for Albertsons and safeway now through June 24th. Score hot summer savings and earn four times the points. Look for in store tags on items like Sargento cheese slices, Best Foods, mayonnaise, lay's Party sized chips and snacks and Triscuits. Then clip the offer in the app for automatic event long savings. Enjoy savings on top of savings when you shop in store or online for easy drive up and go pick up or delivery subject to availability restrictions of supply. Visit Albertsons or Safeway.com for more details.