KSR (Kentucky Sports Radio) – Hour 2

Date: October 30, 2025
Host: Matt Jones
Guests/Regulars: Ryan Lemond, Mark
Theme: UK Basketball Season Buzz, Media Spats, Community Kindness

Episode Overview

Hour two of the October 30, 2025 KSR show finds Matt Jones and the Kentucky Sports Radio crew in high spirits as basketball season looms. The episode is a lively blend of Kentucky basketball analysis, a deep dive into coaching qualities, ongoing radio "feuds" with Louisville media, and feel-good local Kentucky news. The panel also welcomes several callers, whose perspectives add both nostalgia and passion to the conversation.

Key Discussion Points

1. Unused Game Tickets and Fan Engagement

• 03:34 – 04:19:
  • Matt encourages listeners to donate unused tickets so that Wildcats' fans who don't often get the chance can attend games.
  • "If you're not using your tickets, send me, let me give them to people who don't usually get to go." (Matt Jones, 03:34)
• Ryan and Matt both pitch in, happy to help connect generous fans and hopeful attendees.

2. Bizarre News: Hopkinsville Package Mishap

• 04:19 – 07:00:
  • The crew discusses a strange Hopkinsville news story where an elderly woman was accidentally mailed two disembodied hands and four fingers instead of her medication.
  • Ryan's first guess? "Sex toy."
    • Matt's reply: "That's not even close to the answer, Drew. That wasn't necessary. That's one." (05:08)
  • They joke about mafia-style threats and Halloween costume props but note the seriousness for the lady involved.
  • "You open your package up, and she's like, oh, hopefully this is my blood pressure medication. And there's just a hand and fingers sitting there looking at her." (Matt Jones, 06:03)

3. UK/UofL Media Feud: UofL "Sheriff" and Radio Banter

• 07:10 – 14:54:
  • Matt recounts his long-standing, lighthearted radio "wars" with local Louisville figures like "Captain Suntan" and especially the self-styled UofL "Sheriff" (Mark Blankenbaker), a radio and Twitter personality.
  • "If you were to create in a lab an overly self-important Twitter dork, you probably would recreate UofL Sheriff." (Matt Jones, 08:17)
  • The feud came to a head when the "Sheriff" insulted Matt Jones and KSR listeners as "penniless blank gaggers," which Matt found especially obnoxious.
  • "You could call me anything. You can't go after the audience. So I've got to say, I've got to figure out exactly how I'm going to handle this..." (Matt Jones, 12:10)
  • Matt and crew roast the "Sheriff," recalling his infamous "Louisville Man" paean—a self-serious, now-scrubbed internet essay—which Matt proceeds to read for the audience, complete with laughter and teasing.
  • "A Louisville man does the right thing. He's honest. He's good. He does what he needs to do. He loves his family. He takes pride in his work..." (Matt Jones reading Louisville Man, 22:29)
  • "We've been here since 1798, and God willing, we'll be here another 217 years better than ever." (Louisville Man, 23:53)

4. Basketball Coaching: Pope vs Calipari, Recruiting and “The Big Get”

• 15:03 – 17:44:
  • Caller Sean posits that the best coaches combine recruiting, motivating, and tactics—Calipari had two, Mark Pope is excelling at in-game coaching but hasn't landed a top recruit from outside Kentucky yet.
  • "Cal was maybe the best recruiter of all time. I think Cal was a really, really good motivator. I don't think he was a great tactician." (Matt Jones, 15:46)
  • Discussion about the new team's depth and Pope's anticipated challenge: managing playing time for a stacked roster.

5. Mark Pope Era and Team Cohesion

• 24:23 – 29:00:
  • Caller Noah and the panel discuss the current basketball team's unique chemistry—players are united over the goal of "Banner 9" (a 9th national title), not just personal ambition.
  • Contrast drawn between Calipari's "La Familia" era and Pope's focus on Kentucky tradition.
  • "This is a group cohesive around...the idea of Kentucky, Big Blue Nation." (Matt Jones, 26:35)
  • "We feel like we got our program back because he gets it. It is our fan program." (Ryan Lemond, 28:44)

6. NIL, Roster Spending, and National Perception

• 29:00 – 32:49:
  • Host and panel debate the narrative that Kentucky “bought” its team due to high NIL spending, noting most core players returned; not solely assembled via pricey transfers.
  • "Our best players returning, Ryan. Right." (Matt Jones, 30:19)
  • Matt believes UK is underrated at #9 and probably top 2 behind Houston.

7. Community Spotlight: Local Restaurants Supporting SNAP Recipients

• 33:11 – 34:48; 43:35 – 44:20:
  • Matt highlights restaurants providing free meals to those who may lose SNAP benefits due to government shutdown, especially "The Hot Pig" in Hardin, KY, and some Taco John's locations.
  • "They will be providing free meals to the community. If you have a SNAP card, you can come in and they will basically honor it." (Matt Jones, 33:49)
  • Crew and callers praise the generosity and positive impact of these businesses.

8. Kentucky Basketball Nostalgia & Georgetown Still Hurts

• 35:12 – 37:29:
  • Callers reminisce (and vent) about UK's past NCAA heartbreaks, like the 1984 Final Four loss to Georgetown, paralleling the sting of more recent disappointments.
  • "It was a big deal. We were back in the final four, had a chance to win it, and just could not hit a bucket." (Ryan Lemond, 37:03)
  • Matt jokes that Joe Mazzulla, now Celtics coach, still brings up memories of UK's painful loss to West Virginia in 2010.

9. Wildcats in the NBA: Dillingham, Reed Sheppard, Injuries

• 37:49 – 39:31:
  • Update on UK players in the NBA.
  • Dillingham getting minutes for the Lakers and Reed Sheppard for the Suns—both adapting, Sheppard moved to second unit to develop.
  • Sad note: Lamont Butler's torn ACL while playing for the Hawks’ G League team.

10. Listener Q&A, “Painted Head” Funnies, and Show Memories

• 44:20 – 48:52:
  • Fans ask if a loss to Georgetown would alter opinion of the team—Matt and crew say not at all.
  • Extended riff on NBA star Jaylen Brown’s painted scalp mishap (“worse than being bald”), recalling Ryan’s infamous “painted head” KSR stunt.
  • "You need to understand how much worse Sharpie in your head looks than just being bald." (Mark, 46:07)
  • Laughter sharing favorite KSR on-the-road moments—more team bonding than analysis.

11. Final Four Memories & Upcoming KSR Plans

• 49:32 – 51:35:
  • Caller recounts seeing the 1985 Final Four for $80 (!), leading to arena-vs-stadium nostalgia.
  • Matt shares the next KSR on-location plans: Whiskey Thief in Franklin County; first 50 fans get bourbon glasses and the crew will wear costumes.

Notable Quotes & Moments

• On tickets for fans:

  • "Don't let them go unused." (Matt Jones, 03:57)

• On radio feuding:

  • "If you were to create in a lab an overly self important Twitter dork, you probably would recreate UofL Sheriff." (Matt Jones, 08:17)

• On coaching qualities:

  • "The separator is the tactical abilities. Cal had two of those three. Bruce Pearl, two of those three. A lot of motivators and recruiters were great at two of those. The third one eluded them..." (Caller Sean, 15:29)

• On “Louisville Man”:

  • "A Louisville man does the right thing. He's honest. He's good. He does what he needs to do. He loves his family. He takes pride in his work." (Matt Jones reading, 22:29)
  • "Mist y eyed, by the way." (Ryan Lemond, 24:00)

• On the change from Calipari to Pope:

  • "We feel like we got our program back because he gets it. It is our fan program." (Ryan Lemond, 28:44)

• On the NIL narrative:

  • "That's the narrative, though. You're right. The whole season it's going to be, well, they spent 22 million. They should be winning these games." (Ryan Lemond, 30:32)

• Praise for local kindness:

  • "If you have a SNAP card, you can come in and they will basically honor it. Like it's a SNAP card. This is just a private restaurant." (Matt Jones, 33:49)

• On Jaylen Brown's head paint scandal:

  • "You need to understand how much worse Sharpie in your head looks than just being bald." (Mark, 46:07)

Segment Timestamps

• [03:34] – Show starts; ticket drive and community
• [04:19] – Nuts Hopkinsville story (“body parts in a box”)
• [07:10] – Louisville Sheriff\KSR feud, “Louisville Man”
• [15:03] – Caller: Mark Pope’s coaching strengths
• [24:23] – Caller: Team chemistry and focus on Banner 9
• [29:00] – NIL talk and UK’s roster spending
• [33:11 / 43:35] – KY restaurants offer free meals amid potential SNAP cutoff
• [35:12] – Georgetown Final Four loss, caller nostalgia
• [37:49] – NBA Cats update: Dillingham & Sheppard
• [44:20] – Q&A: Georgetown loss worries, Jaylen Brown’s painted head, KSR stunts
• [49:32] – Final Four ticket prices, upcoming live KSR, closing notes

Closing Tone

The episode is classic KSR: irreverent, community-focused, sharp on Kentucky basketball, and packed with inside jokes, feuds, and warmth for Wildcat fans. At every turn, the show manages to be both deeply local and broadly relatable.