Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 1

Date: October 28, 2025
Hosts: Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin
Podcast: KSR (by iHeartPodcasts & Sports Talk 790, WKRD-AM)
Theme: Ask Anything Tuesday – UK Sports and More

Episode Overview

This lively episode, broadcast from the rare setting where all the KSR crew are together in the Louisville studio, centers on “Ask Anything Tuesday.” The hosts field questions about UK football and basketball, current events, and even personal challenges, while maintaining their trademark blend of humor, candid takes, and genuine Kentucky flavor.

Listeners are invited to join via phone and text, and the crew’s camaraderie shines as they discuss team news, local stories, personal anecdotes, and respond to callers’ questions and concerns, blending sports talk with classic Kentucky storytelling and irreverence.

In-Studio, New Boss, and Louisville Traffic

Timestamps: [03:10]–[06:32]

• All KSR team present in Louisville studio – a rare event.
• Host Matt Jones reflects on the novelty:
  “We are all in the Louisville studios, which happens very rarely.” [03:12]
• The crew is in Louisville to meet a new regional boss (“over the entire Southeast”):
  • New boss wanted to meet the team separately (“divide and conquer”).
  • Ryan and Drew share impression:
    “He's really personal, really easy to talk to. I think he's going to be a good guy to work for.” — Ryan Lemond [05:00]
    • Drew notes they connected over golf; Ryan bonded over being St. Louis Cardinals fans.
    • There was curiosity about KSR’s humble origins (“Did you really start in a basement?”).
    • Boss asked about Jay Lucas and Patrick Patterson’s recruitment “springboarding” the KSR website.
• Louisville traffic woes:
  • Drew laments it took 2 hours for Lexington-Louisville commute due to i64 being a “parking lot.”
    “I got here at 9:20. It took over two hours to get from Lexington to Louisville.” — Drew Franklin [05:49]

Baseball Chat: World Series Heroics & Shohei Ohtani Debate

Timestamps: [06:47]–[11:18]

• The team discusses the epic, marathon World Series game (18 innings, lasting till early morning).
  • Matt admits: “I gave it 13 [innings] ... It was very exciting.” [07:31]
  • “Freddie Freeman wins it on a walk off in the bottom of the 18th.” — Ryan [07:38]
  • Shohei Ohtani sets a World Series record: nine times on base in one game, including four walks and four extra base hits.
  • The hosts marvel at Ohtani’s two-way prowess.
    • “He's the greatest baseball player ever.” — Ryan [08:52]
    • “Do you feel like he's the greatest ... of all time? ... Are you ready to put [him above] Barry Bonds, Babe Ruth ...?” — Matt [08:05]
• Consensus: Ohtani’s unique combination of elite pitching and hitting sets him apart from anyone in MLB history.
  • “He's doing what no one else does and is excellent at both.” — Drew [08:58]

Memorable Quotes:

• “He's a special player that we should really be able to appreciate what we're watching.” — Ryan [09:57]
• “Even I don’t love baseball, but if Ohtani’s at bat, you gotta lock in.” — Drew [10:11]

The “Alone Week” Challenge for Ryan

Timestamps: [11:23]–[16:48]

• Matt challenges Ryan Lemond to dine alone at a different restaurant for seven days (“Eating Alone Week”), to foster self-reflection.
• Ryan is resistant: wants to stick to comfortable, familiar places (Drake’s, Applebee’s, El Mariachi), not explore new spots.
  • Matt jokes: “Wherever you want to eat. And you’re picking Applebee’s.” [12:13]
  • Drew quips about Applebee’s being like a Little League hangout: “Anytime you go to Applebee’s, it’s basically a little league team just about to go to a game starting. He’ll know the coaches and the players.” [13:15]
• Rules: Can’t invite friends to join, can interact with acquaintances only briefly. KS Bar allowed only on specific days.
• Alone time anxiety:
  • Ryan says, “I think I could do about 10 minutes [in silence].” [16:03]
  • Matt puts Ryan to the test, sending him to sit alone in an empty studio for 13 minutes.

On-Air Alone: Ryan's Reflection

Timestamps: [31:04]–[32:35]

• Ryan reports back after “alone time” experiment in the studio:
  • “The first four minutes flew by. Those last nine minutes were awful.” [31:12]
  • “You immediately try to reach for your phone ... I think we’re addicted to our phones.” [31:21]
  • Only distraction: reading the label on his water bottle.
    • “Did you know there’s a spot on the water bottle where you can put your name?” [31:47]
• Drew: “Just think how much you would know if you just sat around all the time thinking.” [32:17]
• Matt: “No one considers [solitary confinement] a good punishment. It's actually literally a bad [one] ... It's actually torture.” [32:24]

Ask Anything Tuesday: Callers, Basketball & Recruiting

Timestamps: [22:46]–[29:00]

• Caller “Billy in Georgetown” shares info on UK player Malachi Moreno bulking up since arrival.
  • Matt: “He has put on ... He has put on [weight]. ... He arrived on campus a different person than I saw at the end of his junior year.” [23:45, 25:03]
• Caller “Chris”: expresses mild concern over lack of recruiting commitments for next season.
  • Matt: “I do wonder about it ... the two or three people that people have felt the best at about haven’t made a decision yet.” [25:33]
  • The team feels the new transfer portal system changes the urgency and predicts several players to return.
  • Also discusses Arkansas’s athletic-looking team under Calipari in exhibition games. Matt confesses:
    “I was actively rooting against him.” [27:50]
    • The group debates whether to root for or against John Calipari now that he’s at Arkansas.

Kentucky Football: Stoops’ Show Signals Trouble

Timestamps: [33:09]–[35:00]

• Matt addresses Mark Stoops’ coach’s show—specifically, no calls being taken:
  • “The moment they stop answering the phone, it’s a bad sign ... I think you could argue that the most obvious sign it is ending is when they stop answering the phone on the show.” [33:22]
• Drew and Ryan concur: when callers are shut out, it usually signifies a coach is nearing the end of his tenure.
• Matt likens it to a “closed Waffle House during a hurricane”—a strong indicator things are dire.

Personal, Local, and Fun Segments

Timestamps: [37:10]–[39:49]

• Jackie from Versailles: shares fundraising woes working concessions for a UK football “buy” game with likely low attendance.

  • Crew sympathizes: “I'm sorry, Jackie. That stinks.” [38:34]
  • General agreement: scheduling such non-competitive games at the season’s end hurts morale and engagement.

• Lighthearted “Nine Beers, Nine Hot Dogs” baseball challenge:

  • Drew boasts, “I think so. I have to see how big the hot dog is.” [36:31]
  • Matt: “There’s no way I could drink nine beers of anything.” [36:21]

• “Ask Anything” Rapid Fire: Democratic politics, percentage chance Gov. Andy Beshear could be president (consensus: 2–3%), and rooting for/against Calipari.

• Rick's Radio Bio:

  • Veteran, age 73, Louisville native, former Top 40 DJ. Provides a sample of his old radio voice for the listeners. [30:09]

Closing Thoughts and Podcast Plug

Timestamps: [43:50]–[47:31]

• Matt plugs his podcast “Interrupted by Matt Jones,” highlighting a recent episode on Israeli–Palestinian affairs, stressing openness, learning, and balance.
• Discusses fan opinions about rooting for former Kentucky coaches at new jobs:
  • “How many Kentucky fans out there, you think, root actively for Cal and Arkansas ...?” — Matt [46:46]
  • The prevailing sentiment is rivalry trumps personal loyalty, especially since Arkansas is an SEC foe.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• Ohtani admiration:
  “He’s doing what no one else does and is excellent at both.” — Drew [08:58]
  “He's the greatest baseball player ever.” — Ryan [08:52]

• Dining Alone Challenge:
  “You’re picking Applebee’s?” — Matt [12:13]
  “I think I could do about 10 minutes [in silence].” — Ryan [16:03]

• Alone time effects:
  “I got really sleepy. The first four minutes flew by. Those last nine minutes were awful.” — Ryan [31:12]
  “You immediately try to reach for your phone ... I think we’re addicted to our phones.” — Ryan [31:21]

• Stoops/Coach Show:
  “The moment they stop answering the phone, it’s a bad sign.” — Matt [33:22]
  “It might be like when they close Waffle House during a hurricane, you know it’s going to be a bad one.” — Matt [34:14]

Key Topics: Time-Stamped Highlights

| Segment | Time | Highlight | |---------------------------|------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | In studio with new boss | 03:10–06:32| KSR origins, impressions of management, and traffic stories | | Epic World Series talk | 06:47–11:18| Ohtani’s historic feat and MLB “GOAT” debate | | Alone Week challenge | 11:23–16:48| Ryan’s apprehension, choosing safe restaurants | | Post-alone reflection | 31:04–32:35| Ryan’s struggle with 13 minutes of solitude | | Ask Anything segment | 22:46–29:00| Basketball recruiting concerns and Arkansas under Calipari | | Stoops radio show | 33:09–35:00| No calls taken – a sign of trouble | | UK football concessions | 37:10–39:49| Nonprofit caller dreads tiny crowd for fundraising game | | Rick’s backstory | 30:09–31:04| Louisville roots and DJ history | | Podcast plug & politics | 43:50–47:31| “Interrupted by Matt Jones,” Andy Beshear’s presidential chances |

Tone & Style

The KSR hour balances Kentucky sports insight with the easygoing, tongue-in-cheek warmth the show is known for. The hosts rib each other, share honest opinions, jump between national sports and local communities, and are open to the randomness of listener questions.

For New Listeners

This episode’s open format provides a great window into the KSR community’s blend of sports obsessiveness, Kentucky pride, humor, and authenticity. If you enjoy Kentucky sports, opinionated takes, and a tight-knit yet quirky radio crew who mix sports, local color, and the human side of fandom, this hour is a must.