Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 1

Date: October 22, 2025
Host: Matt Jones (with Ryan Lemond, Shannon, and guest analysts)
Location: KS Bar and Grill, Lexington, KY

Episode Overview

This episode celebrates a major milestone for Kentucky Sports Radio—the 20th anniversary of kentuckysportsradio.com. Matt Jones and the KSR crew reflect on the evolution of the KSR brand: its humble beginnings, rise to become the largest college sports team site in America, and the key personalities who made it happen. The episode mixes nostalgia, behind-the-scenes stories, gratitude, and lighthearted banter about Kentucky traditions, recruiting, and some current UK sports debates.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. KSR’s 20th Anniversary: The Origin Story

(04:33–18:12)

• Matt Jones recounts launching KSR in 2005:

  • He was a law clerk who didn't enjoy law. Inspired by Adam Curry talking about "podcasts," he realized he wanted to discuss Kentucky sports, but didn’t know how to get started technically.
  • Pitching various Lexington and Louisville radio stations for airtime, he was consistently rejected.
  • Memorable Quote (06:36):
    "They quickly said, no. What back then was Cumulus ESPN radio, where crisscross famously said, you don't have a voice that they would ever let on the airwaves. That was his exact quote to me." – Matt Jones

• DIY Spirit:

  • Teaming up with “hubby,” who built the first KSR website, Matt offered him a third of ‘nothing’ in stake.
  • The site was called "Kentucky Sports Radio," hoping one day to land a radio show, though it took five years.
  • Early blog contributors included Rob Goodell, “The Intern” (John Wilkinson), “The Turkey Hunter,” Chris Mosley, and Chris Tomlin.
  • Blog Culture:
    "There was a time where the new cool media was blogs. It wasn't social media." (08:59) – Matt Jones

2. Breakout Moments for KSR

(10:09–13:18)

• First Big Growth Point – Recruiting Coverage (2007):

  • Exclusive interviews with recruits Patrick Patterson and Jay Lucas were vital in establishing KSR’s authority and traffic.
  • Memorable Quote (11:15):
    "The only way you could get information on Patrick Patterson and Jay Lucas was us." – Matt Jones

• Second Major Step – Teaming with Rivals:

  • Drew Franklin (Horace Grant’s Halftime Report) and TJ Beisner joined KSR, merging the best UK blogs and magnifying their reach.
  • The timing aligned with John Calipari taking the UK coaching job, the arrival of John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins—and the site exploded in popularity.

3. How KSR Changed the UK Media Landscape

(13:41–18:39)

• KSR’s irreverent, fan-first tone differentiated it from the traditionally gruff or critical local press.

  • Memorable Quote (09:11):
    "All these people take sports so seriously. I'm just gonna write about it as a fan. ...I'm gonna acknowledge that sports are supposed to be fun." – Matt Jones

• The KSR site would eventually:

  • Be cited in local sportscasts (before social media scoops),
  • Employ dozens if not 100+ contributors,
  • Spawn a radio show, television show, and even the KS Bar & Grill drinkery.
  • In 2020, KSR was sold to On3, continuing under Tyler Thompson’s leadership.
  • Matt’s pride shines through as he thanks colleagues, contributors, and especially the audience.

• Memorable Moment (15:03):
  "Even though you never wrote on it, you [Ryan] were one of our biggest advocates. When I started, the media hated me. The only person they hated more was Drew." – Matt Jones

• On leadership and building stars (16:04):
  "One of the things that I think separates the difference between good leaders and bad ones is creating other stars." – Matt Jones

• On site’s original yellow and gray color scheme:
  "They were the only things that the website company would let us have for free. ...So even though it was a Kentucky site, it was yellow and gray for a long time because you had to pay for the colors." (18:24) – Matt Jones

4. Fan Questions and KSR Trivia

(20:32–24:22)

• Earliest “I’ve made it” moment for KSR:
  Matt recalls beating Georgia at home (’05 or ’06), making a “Honk if you read KSR” sign and getting a huge response from traffic leaving Commonwealth Stadium.
• Who’s the longest-tenured KSR writer?
  Currently Drew Franklin; previously, “Brian the Intern.”
• Listener calls in to thank KSR for helping UK fans outside Kentucky stay connected (32:18)

5. UK Football Coach Debate: Who’s Next?

(22:39–29:46, 26:05–29:46)

• Listener prompts the panel: Name the top 3 most likely UK football coaches next year.
• Panel’s Picks:
  • Ryan Lemond: Mark Stoops, Will Stein, John Sumrall
  • Shannon: Stoops, Sumrall, Stein
  • Drew: Stoops, Stein, Sumrall
  • Matt Jones: 1. Will Stein 2. Dan Mullen 3. Mark Stoops (makes case that Sumrall may get a bigger job, e.g. Auburn; Stein would be innovative and has Kentucky connections; Mullen is a steady, proven coach)
  • Discussion includes thoughts on the attractiveness of various jobs (Penn State, Auburn, Florida, etc.), and the panel muses about recruiting styles, fan preference, and Mitch Barnhart’s willingness to seek outside-the-box hires.

6. UK Basketball: Second-Year Leap Candidates

(33:04–34:43)

• Caller asks: Who from the “second-year” players (Noah, Chandler) will take the biggest leap?
  • Panel consensus: Chandler, due to late progress in his freshman year and NBA-level athleticism. Tyler Herro invoked as a comparison point.

7. Modern and Nostalgic UK/Pop Culture

(37:36–41:48)

• NBA Opening Night Recap:

  • Crew enjoys the return of classic NBC “Round Ball Rock” theme; reminisce fondly on the ‘90s vibe.
  • Memorable Quote (39:14):
    "The 90s were objectively best...there was something about that whole NBC intro that put me in the 90s." – Matt Jones

• Michael Jordan’s guest appearance (“He can just say anything and it’s news,” 40:40), technical mishaps on NBC pregame show, and Carmelo Anthony’s sweatsuit on the panel spark laughs.

8. Current UK NBA Performers

(41:48–43:02)

• Reed Sheppard struggles in his debut:
  "If you put his name into Twitter last night, it was not…was mean. Please, no one do it that knows him well because it was bad." – Matt Jones (42:06)
• Positive notes for SGA and Cason Wallace.

9. Listener Calls: Coaching “Mutiny”

(43:12–44:27)

• Caller Joseph threatens a “mutiny” if Dan Mullen is hired as UK coach, arguing hiring him would be like “firing Mark Stoops for another Mark Stoops.”
  • Matt: “But if you’re saying Dan Mullen is like Mark Stoops in his first 10 years, then that’s not bad, is it?” (44:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (With Timestamps)

• Blog Launch & Early Failures
  "They quickly said, no. What back then was Cumulus ESPN radio, where crisscross famously said, 'you don't have a voice that they would ever let on the airwaves.'" – Matt Jones (06:36)
• On Leadership:
  "One of the things that I think separates the difference between good leaders and bad ones is creating other stars." – Matt Jones (16:04)
• Why KSR “Radio?”
  "I called it Kentucky Sports Radio because ultimately I wanted a radio show. Of course, we didn’t get a radio show for five more years." – Matt Jones (08:38)
• Blogging “Golden Age”:
  "There was a time where the new cool media was blogs. It wasn’t social media. It was blogs." – Matt Jones (08:59)
• Reed Sheppard’s Rough Night:
  "If you put his name into Twitter last night, it was not…was mean. Please, no one do it that knows him well because it was bad." – Matt Jones (42:06)
• 90s Nostalgia:
  "The 90s were objectively best...there was something about that whole NBC intro that put me in the 90s." – Matt Jones (39:14)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• KSR’s 20th Anniversary Story: 04:33–18:39
• Merging Blogs & Calipari Era: 11:38–13:20
• UK Football Coach Speculation: 22:39–29:46
• Listener “KSR Moment” and Fan Outreach: 20:58–22:16
• Second-Year Basketball Leaps (Noah/Chandler): 33:04–34:43
• NBA Nostalgia / NBC Revival: 37:36–41:48
• Current UK NBA Players; Reed Sheppard: 41:48–43:02
• Caller Joseph’s Coaching Mutiny: 43:12–44:27

Tone and Language

The tone is characteristically informal, humorous, self-deprecating, and sprinkled with inside jokes and Kentucky vernacular. The camaraderie and pride in KSR’s journey are clear, balanced with playful ribbing and respectful acknowledgment of both contributors and the UK fanbase.

Conclusion

This hour of KSR blends a heartfelt look back at 20 years of unlikely media success with the familiar banter and topical UK sports talk that KSR fans know and love. As Matt Jones says, whatever else he does, KSR will always be the thing he’s most proud of—an ethos that shines throughout this anniversary episode.