Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 1

Date: October 17, 2025
Host: Matt Jones with Ryan, Drew, Shannon, and callers
Recording Location: 46 Solutions, Lexington Green, Lexington, KY

Episode Overview

This episode of KSR sets the scene for an electric sports weekend in Lexington, with UK’s Blue-White basketball game, the major UK vs. Texas football matchup, ScareFest, and more filling the calendar. Matt Jones and the crew cover the vibe around fan anticipation (or lack thereof), the state of UK football and basketball, implications of massive NIL budgets, and even a sidetrack into haunted dolls (Annabelle) and Adam Sandler’s visit to campus. The conversation is lively, self-deprecating, and quintessentially KSR—part sports talk, part cultural barbershop.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. "Old Men" in Pro Sports: Still Got It

• [01:01–03:15]
  • Matt opens the show inspired by older NFL athletes, after watching Joe Flacco and Aaron Rodgers (both over 40) ball out the previous night.
  • Discussion extends to 41-year-old Max Scherzer pitching for the Blue Jays.
  • Panel indulges in age-related banter: "I'm over 40. Why can't I play in the NFL?" – Matt ([02:12])
  • Uplifting moment for “old fogies out there dominating.”
  • Flacco’s gray goatee as a symbol: “Yes. Joe Flacco, go out there and do it for our gray.” – Drew ([03:09])
  • “Go. He's got low T, but he can still thread the knee.” – Matt ([03:11])

2. Big UK Sports Weekend: Excitement & Apathy

• [04:11–07:10]
  • Fans in the crowd are polled: much more excitement for the Blue-White basketball exhibition than the UK-Texas football game.
  • Concern for football’s local popularity: “That's a bad sign for the UK football program.” – Matt ([04:43])
  • Possible reasons: apathy about the football team’s prospects against Texas; fear of being “crushed.”
  • Even with marquee opponents, advanced ticket sales lackluster.
  • “It's also a bad sign when the conversation has been more coaches buyout than the upcoming game.” – Shannon ([06:24])

3. UK Football: A Crossroads and State of the Program

• [07:18–08:41]
  • National media painting the UK football program as “hopeless as any in the Power 4 right now” (Seth Emerson, The Athletic).
  • Wins over Texas or Tennessee could change narratives.
  • “If you beat Texas... I'm going to give them a ton of credit... go into the Vandy, Auburn, Louisville games with a chance to save your job.” – Matt ([08:07])
  • General consensus: Kentucky fans are loyal but drawing the line—if this game isn’t entertaining, some are “packing it in for the year.” ([11:37])

4. The Arch Manning Factor: Star Power in Lexington

• [08:41–11:48]
  • Arch Manning’s arrival seen as a generational star moment for Lexington.
  • Other historic "star power visits" compared: Tim Tebow, Shaquille O’Neal, Cam Newton, Herschel Walker, Bo Jackson, Pete Maravich, and even gymnast Livvy Dunne.
  • Noted by Drew: current NIL rules and commercial sponsorships amplify a player's fame uniquely in modern times.

5. Game Predictions and Outlook: Any Hope vs. Texas?

• [13:27–14:08]
  • “You need Arch to not have his breakout moment. Kentucky cannot score points. They just can’t. So you gotta win in the teens.” – Drew ([13:29])
  • Texas’s vulnerabilities: Some OL injuries; “If Kentucky can force turnovers, maybe they have a chance.” – Shannon ([13:56])

6. Lexington Life and Old KSR Moments

• [14:19–15:15]
  • Banter about the 46 Solutions venue and AV setups.
  • Flashback to Ryan’s video of one-handed push-ups for UK football pregame shows—he does it again live, to the crowd’s delight: “He’s got old man strength still.” – Shannon ([15:10])

7. Historic Star Visits Revisited & Big Basketball Talk

• [16:53–18:00]
  • Pete Maravich, Charles Barkley, Dominique Wilkins, Livvy Dunne, Akeem Olajuwon among the names revisited as major stars who played in Lexington.
  • Transition to basketball discussion: UK’s reported $22 million NIL roster budget and national expectations.

NIL, Roster Spending, and Expectations

1. $22 Million Roster: Final Four or Bust?

• [18:00–24:24]
  • National pundit pressure: “If Mark Pope doesn’t make a Final Four with $22 million, it’s a failure.” – referencing Jeff Goodman ([18:00])
  • Seth Davis’s assertion: Kentucky’s current spending is unsustainable if it doesn’t win a title now.
  • Mark Pope’s response: “I’m fine with people knowing we spend the most. It’s Kentucky.”
  • Shannon: “If we’re going to spend $22 million, we can’t be losing to Oakland in the first round.” ([20:17])
  • Drew cautions against “Final Four or bust” oversimplifications; context (like NCAA tourney draws) still critical ([20:31])
  • Matt: “My view is it’s not my money, so I don’t care... It would bother me more if we as a program did not commit to compete with the top guys.” ([21:13])
  • On balancing football vs. basketball: “Isn’t the better investment to put that more money in basketball?” – Matt ([22:26])
  • Drew: “You gotta protect your best asset first.” ([23:05])
  • Industry context: next year’s NIL spending likely to drop substantially for all teams ([23:47])

2. Changing College Sports Landscape

• [35:42–36:59]
  • Contrary to predictions, NIL has arguably increased parity: “Look at teams in the top 10 in the last 25 years until NIL...” – Matt ([36:22])
  • “BYU is the perfect poster child for this.” – Ryan ([36:44])
  • Yet, “You can still get beat”—Oakland over Kentucky cited as an example ([36:59]).

Annabelle Doll & Adam Sandler in Town: Culture & Superstition

1. The Annabelle Doll at ScareFest

• [26:29–28:52]
  • Supernatural chatter: the "cursed" Annabelle doll arrives in Lexington for ScareFest next to Rupp Arena.
  • Joking debate: Would you hold it? “Negative, Ryan might get possessed.” – Shannon ([28:25])
  • Ryan: “I’m not going to make eye contact with it. I want nothing to do with it either.” ([28:17])
  • “If anybody turns an ankle or anything in the blue white game tonight, I'm blaming Annabelle.” – Shannon ([28:40])

2. Adam Sandler's Visit

• [29:54–32:16]
  • Sandler meets UK men’s, women’s, and swim teams; wears customized “Sandler” UK jersey on stage.
  • “Loved it. That just shows a little appreciation for the people that love him. He’s giving it back.” – Ryan ([30:46])
  • Joke gone awry? Sandler reportedly makes an offhand comment about not wanting to jinx anyone’s Achilles—sparking KSR crew’s humorous concern about bad luck, especially with Annabelle in town.
  • Drew: “I’m worried about the Annabelle thing. We shouldn't have approved bringing her in for our launch of basketball season.” ([32:07])

3. Fact-checking the Sandler Achilles Incident

• [38:29–42:37]
  • Multiple listeners and Mario (live in the crowd) clarify: Sandler referred to someone tearing their Achilles in a pickup game, likely a local media member or fan, not a UK player.
  • Consensus: Public would know if a major UK basketball player had been injured before the Blue-White game.
  • “Sandler would know to read the room... if you just lost a star player, probably not his place to announce.” – Drew ([42:27])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “That’s a bad sign for the UK football program.” – Matt ([04:43])
• “If you beat Texas... go into the Vandy, Auburn, Louisville games with a chance to save your job. I don’t think how you win really matters.” – Matt ([08:07])
• “You need Arch to not have his breakout moment. Kentucky cannot score points. They just can’t. So you gotta win in the teens.” – Drew ([13:29])
• “If we’re going to spend $22 million, we can’t be losing to Oakland in the first round.” – Ryan ([20:17])
• “If, however, we get to a point that our football program is hindered because we’re putting all of our money into basketball, well, then I need basketball to be good.” – Matt ([21:34])
• (On Annabelle Doll) “I’m not going to make eye contact with it. I want nothing to do with it either.” – Ryan ([28:17])
• "If anybody turns an ankle or anything in the blue white game tonight, I'm blaming Annabelle." – Shannon ([28:40])
• "Loved it. That just shows a little appreciation for the people that love him. He’s giving it back." (Adam Sandler and UK jersey) – Ryan ([30:46])
• (On NIL’s real effect) “NIL actually brought us more parity.” – Matt ([36:32])

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Aging athletes dominating: [01:01–03:15]
• Basketball vs. Football excitement poll: [04:11–05:27]
• State of UK Football & Coach’s outlook: [06:24–08:41]
• Arch Manning star-power debate: [08:41–11:48]
• Predictions and chances vs. Texas: [13:27–14:08]
• NIL, $22M roster and fan expectations: [18:00–24:24]
• NIL, program investment, balance: [21:13–24:24]
• Parity and changing college landscape: [35:42–36:59]
• Annabelle Doll and sports superstition: [26:29–28:52]
• Adam Sandler visit & injury rumor: [29:54–32:16, 38:29–42:37]

Final Takeaway

This is a classic, digressive, witty KSR hour; its unique brand of sports talk weaves between serious critique, nostalgia, and tongue-in-cheek banter—whether it’s about generational athletic feats, UK’s shifting program priorities, or the perils of haunted dolls and celebrity appearances. The undercurrent: a fanbase passionate about both football and basketball, but wrestling with the realities of modern college sports, and always looking for a reason to believe, or a curse to blame.