KSR Podcast – August 25, 2025 – Hour 2

Hosts: Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, Shannon the Dude
Producer: iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)

Episode Overview

The KSR crew gathers for a typical lively hour centered on Kentucky (UK) sports news, a wild foray into television and pop culture, hilarious updates on their new NFL-centric gig, significant caller interaction, and personal moments about parenting and change. The hour reflects the show's trademark blend: UK news, football predictions, self-deprecating Southern wit, and genuine camaraderie—peppered with fond listener engagement.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. TV Talk: ‘Gilded Age’ and Changing TV Standards

• Matt shares that his 83-year-old father binge-watched "Gilded Age" with his mom, setting up a discussion about TV appropriateness.
• Ryan praises the show's PG rating and jokes about only a single unnecessary nudity scene.
  • “I could recommend that to my parents and not feel guilty because it's not really dirty at all… Pretty PG.” (Ryan, 01:36–01:51)
• Reflections follow about how TV has gotten less risqué in some places post-COVID and what qualifies as "clean" TV now.
  • “People probably got more during COVID because they didn't have anything else.” (Shannon, 02:46)
• Lively banter about "Succession" and its language versus nudity, with Drew noting:
  • “The most popular line is the F word.” (Drew, 03:12)

2. The NFL Gig: Logo Art Gone Wrong & Theme Music Misadventures

• Ryan and Drew talk through the misadventures of working with the NFL on a new podcast and their branding struggles.
• Ryan describes the “disastrous” caricature the NFL sent as promotional art:
  • “I look like the fattest, stupidest looking goober on earth…and I don't right now.” (Ryan, 04:52–05:24)
  • “You look like a thumb in that cartoon.” (Drew to Ryan, 05:24)
  • “They gave me a forehead line that I don't even have. Why add wrinkles?” (Ryan, 05:53)
  • The artist’s reply: “Less lumpy is a good note…these illustrations are a work in progress.” (NFL Artist, relayed by Ryan, 08:23–08:41)
• The NFL sends 20 musical “riffs” for the show intro—nearly all featuring stereotypical country/western banjo sounds.
  • Ryan, exasperated: “They think we're from the sticks…Half of them had a banjo. Out.” (Ryan, 09:41–10:21)
  • “You would have loved this. Every song was like a western movie, except country and twangy…” (Ryan to Shannon, 09:24–09:40)
• The group laughs at the mismatch between their actual vibe and the NFL’s assumptions, deciding to pick “the least offensive” riff.

3. Listener Calls: UK Sports, State Fair, and More

• Terry: Asks if he might score a football ticket at KS Bar.
  • “There is almost never a game unless it's a huge game that there's not somebody there who has a ticket…So, so I would say the answer is very, very high.” (Ryan, 12:43)
• High school football shooting at Graves County is discussed with palpable concern.
  • “It’s absolutely awful…Prayers to everybody.” (Matt, 14:10)
• Excitement about Jared Lorenzen’s son scoring a two-point conversion to beat Frederick Douglass.
  • “22, run it in. So very cool.” (Drew, 15:28–15:36)
• UK’s bold move to schedule Texas for homecoming draws jokes:
  • “Yeah, normally you schedule the team you're going to beat for homecoming. Oh, not us. Hey, Preseason number one. Heck yeah. It's homecoming. Get some.” (Ryan, 15:38)
  • “Everybody watch our team get their butt kicked by 50 points.” (Shannon, 15:59)
• Update: UK’s Military Day game will be against Florida, a more “meaningful” opponent than usual.

4. College Football & NFL Players: Incarnate Word and Deuce Hogan

• Discussing Incarnate Word’s struggles since QB Zach Calzada left for UK:
  • “After putting up, literally putting up, you know, tons of yards last year…they did nothing with Calzada gone…Maybe a little positive…” (Ryan, 17:29–17:53)
• Drew jokes: “Let’s not play the game Saturday. Calzada is the man.” (Drew, 17:53)

5. Meta Commentary: Show’s Place in NFL Podcast World

• Callers and hosts agree KSR’s vibe is comedic, not for deep NFL analysis:
  • “What they're looking for comic relief, babe. And there you go.” (Caller Mark Anthony, 19:31–19:52)
  • Ryan jokes he’s taking the NFL job seriously—he has notes now:
    • “I do have a notebook. I've taken notes on each team…” (Ryan, 19:57–20:02)

6. KS Bar Reopening and Menu Updates

• Excitement for KS Bar’s reopening; all hosts plug new menu upgrades.
  • “The wings and cheese logs are what they were before, but like, boneless wings needed to improve. We got those better. The burgers need to improve. It got exponentially better...Try the tater cakes. Trust. They're the best.” (Ryan, 21:45)
  • “The new fried pickles are really good too. And the new pretzel bread…all the appetizers are really good.” (Matt, 21:59)

7. Cincinnati Reds Update

• Anxious optimism as the Reds barely hold playoff ground.
  • “We keep hanging in, Hanging on...now we're still only a game and a half back.” (Matt, 22:04–22:23)
  • Story of how relief pitcher “Big Sugar” got his nickname:
    • “He was playing at Georgia Tech. And the announcer…goes, well, he just, like, looks like a big old hunk of sugar.” (Ryan, 22:43–23:02)

8. Pop Culture: Sorority Rush Videos & Sociological Commentary

• Group expresses disbelief over hyper-produced college sorority “rush” videos.
  • “Honestly, Jerry Bruckheimer's kid has to be going there…They're like jet skiing on the water with drones over them.” (Ryan, 25:07–25:19)
  • Matt shares a stat: Alabama applications up 800% in three years, possibly due to viral rush videos.
  • Ryan details parents hiring consultants for sorority placement and students gaming the transfer system for better chapters.
    • “That is insane…you're asking for them to be the most obnoxious people in the world.” (Ryan, 27:04–27:42)
    • “If you're saving a buck and then going on to the next school, it's one thing. But if you're just…doing the pipeline.” (Drew, 27:51)

9. Parenting & ‘Empty Nest’ Adjustment

• Extended, candid reflection on Ryan’s experience after his son Josiah moved out for college.
  • Matt shares:
    • “I gotta tell you what, your mom gave me some great advice though…she said, well, the good news is you got more spare time to go visit with Jennifer. The bad news is you have more free time to go spending with Jennifer.” (Matt, 34:27–34:44)
    • Reports Josiah is thriving: “Every shot I take, I'm making it.” (Josiah, via Matt, 34:55)
  • Matt struggles:
    • “I hate it. The house. I've empty and quiet…I need somebody to hold my hand.” (Matt, 35:44–36:32)
    • Ryan relays therapists’ advice: Matt needs to process the change, not just distract himself.

10. Expectations for Kentucky Football

• Callers and hosts debate what to expect from UK Football and Stoops' program.
  • Matt: “We're never gonna be. I…will be firmly in the camp…if the standard is…consistently beating the Georgian Alabamas…you're just going to be set up for a lifetime of disappointment.” (Ryan, 29:11–30:02)
  • Drew: “To consistently beat them all the time, I don't know that you'll ever get there.” (Drew, 30:02)
  • The bar for success, the crew agrees, must be realistic: respectable play, upsets, but not “Bama-level” dominance.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ryan on NFL logo art:
  “I look like the fattest, stupidest looking goober on earth…They could not have drawn me worse. I had to go to people all weekend and go, tell me I don't look like this, right?” (04:52–05:21)

• Matt on Reds relief pitcher:
  “He just, like, looks like a big old hunk of sugar. Sugar looks a big old bag of sugar.” (Matt, 23:08)

• On Sorority Rush:
  “You're going to juco so you can then transfer and be…that is insane.” (Matt, 27:22–27:29)

• Caller Mark Anthony on NFL podcast mindset:
  “Everybody has had their belly full of prognosticator birds, of analysts…What they're looking for comic relief, babe. And there you go.” (Mark Anthony, 19:31–19:52)

• On Kentucky Football realism:
  “If the standard is when are we going to get to the point that we're beating the Georgia and Alabama's [consistently]? You're just going to be set up for a lifetime of disappointment. …that's just unreasonable. It's not going to happen.” (Ryan, 29:11–30:02)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Gilded Age/TV Risqué-ness – 01:05–03:20
• NFL Art and Theme Music Dilemma – 03:22–11:19
• Ticket-Getting Caller (Terry) & State Fair – 11:47–13:04
• Graves County HS Shooting & Jared Lorenzen’s Son – 14:06–15:36
• Homecoming Game Debate (Texas) – 15:38–16:23
• Incarnate Word/Calzada College Football Talk – 17:02–18:13
• NFL Podcast Purpose—Comic Relief – 19:31–20:02
• KS Bar Reopening/Menu Upgrades – 21:45–22:04
• Reds “Big Sugar” Nickname – 22:42–23:10
• Sorority Rush Video Production/Social Commentary – 24:41–28:17
• Parenting & Empty Nest – 33:53–36:32
• UK Football Realism – 29:11–30:38

Tone & Takeaways

The hosts maintain their signature playful, irreverent, and honest style—poking fun at themselves, each other, and the sports/entertainment systems they love. There’s real warmth toward their listeners, as well as an underlying current of emotional honesty as Matt and Ryan discuss personal transitions. The throughlines: it’s okay to laugh at yourself, Kentucky fandom is about community and fun as much as wins, and change (on the field and at home) is inevitable.

Perfect for: UK fans, casual sports radio listeners, anyone who enjoys a fusion of sports, pop culture, and authentic banter.