KSR Podcast – December 8, 2025, Hour 2

Hosts: Matt Jones, Ryan Lemond, Shannon Dawson, Drew Franklin
Theme: UK Athletics’ Downturn, Media Criticism, New Coaching, Team Culture, and Pop Culture References

Episode Overview

This lively episode of Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) dives deep into the state of University of Kentucky (UK) athletics, particularly basketball and football. The crew debates coaching decisions, media responsibility, the fan culture around criticism and booing, big-picture issues with team construction, and the influence of college sports' Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) era. Interwoven throughout are hilarious asides about The Godfather movies and how pop culture seeps into sports banter.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. UK Basketball Malaise & Team Construction

• Team Criticism: The hosts and listeners express deep concern with the current state of UK basketball, calling the team "poorly constructed" ([03:05]).
• Media's Role in Critiquing Coaches: Matt acknowledges the challenges media face in pressing coaches and ADs with tough questions, citing examples where reporters have faced backlash (e.g., Mitch Barnhart’s negative response to John Hale’s NIL query) ([03:39-04:12]).
• Historical Reflection: Matt reflects on Jerry Tipton's critical media approach, admitting he now values that perspective despite previously criticizing it.

  “In hindsight, I was wrong about that. We need... Jerry Tiptons.” (Matt Jones, [04:02])

2. Atmosphere & The Culture of Booing

• Debate on Booing: Callers and hosts discuss the legitimacy of fans booing coaches or teams, but agree that singling out players is crossing the line—especially when college athletes now make significant NIL money ([24:36-29:19]).

  “You can boo coaches and you can boo the team collectively. We don't boo individual players...” (Caller Luke, [28:40])

3. Media Access and Criticism Difficulties

• Pushback and Consequences: Repeated media criticisms of coaches often lead to exclusion and fan hostility; the hosts discuss the tension between honest coverage and maintaining access ([03:39-05:19]).
• Quote:

  “People always go, why don't you ask harder questions? But what you need to ask yourself is, when things are good and people ask hard questions, do you get angry at them?” (Matt Jones, [05:20])

4. UK Football Transition & Oregon's Impact

• Will Stein Scenario: The team discusses whether Will Stein (Oregon OC) staying in the playoff is good or bad for Kentucky football, considering staff cohesion, recruiting, and visibility ([07:30-10:27]).
  • Matt: “The best advertisement for coming and playing for Will Stein is Will Stein having success.” ([10:14])
  • Internal split: Ryan/Jones want Stein and Oregon to win and get more exposure for UK; Drew/Shannon prefer him to lose and focus on UK’s portal.

5. College Football Playoff & Notre Dame Backlash

• Indiana’s Remarkable Turnaround: Hosts call Indiana’s coaching turnaround “maybe the greatest coaching job of all time” ([11:16-12:33]).
• Notre Dame Critique: Harsh words for Notre Dame opting out of a bowl and benefitting from a lenient schedule:

  “If you want to make the playoff, Notre Dame, join a conference.” (Matt Jones, [12:46])

  • ND skipping a bowl: “That's the most Chicken-blank thing I've ever seen of a team to do.” (Matt Jones, [13:14])
• Expanding Playoffs: They discuss the merits and pitfalls of further expansion ([15:55-16:53]).

6. Academic Performance & Bowl Selection

• Surprise at Mississippi State Selection: Discussion about how Mississippi State edged Kentucky for a bowl invite based on academic performance leads to a comedic jab at Stoops’ academic priorities ([17:00-17:25]).

7. Caller Segment: Fan Experience & Perspective

• Nashville Anecdote: Drew details a bizarre, sobering experience at his hotel that mirrored the surreal mood after UK’s loss ([23:19]).
• Fan Emotion: Callers voice frustration, mixing humor (e.g., “more tense than two rams in heat at a tap dance recital,” [25:09]) with earnest pleas for more effort from both players and coaches.

8. Pop Culture: The Godfather Debate

• Hosts' Movie Gaps: Astoundment that Ryan and Shannon haven't seen The Godfather dominates a significant chunk, spawning memorable ribbing and a running bet (if they watch before Saturday, UK will beat Indiana; if not, superstition blames “Annabelle” the doll) ([26:10-39:38]).
  • Quote: “It's widely considered the greatest movie of all time... You will like it, I promise. This is your kind of thing.” (Matt Jones, [27:06])
• Iconic Quotes Used & Explained:
  • “Leave the gun, take the cannoli.” ([35:26])
  • “He sleeps with the fishes.” ([48:32])
  • “Just when I thought I was out, they pulled me back in.” ([48:35])
  • “Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer.” ([49:07])
  • And more...

9. Return of Key Players & Fixing the Program

• Jaden Quaintance’s Return: Discussing whether his return can salvage the season. Drew is hopeful but skeptical about the overall trajectory ([31:37-32:54]).
• Coaching Philosophy: Caller and hosts agree Pope may be overly reliant on analytics, leading to criticism that he’s not coaching “with feel” ([35:19-36:29]).
• Team Culture: Drew and Matt believe a major problem is a group of players lacking both connection with each other and with Pope, leading to a “broken” team dynamic.

  “They just seem to really not like each other... if they lose to Indiana, it will get nasty around here.” (Drew Franklin, [50:33])

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On media challenge:

  “You get blackballed. Then you also end up getting a group of fans who get mad at you for asking anything.” (Matt Jones, [04:12])

• On team construction and media critique:

  “You need Jerry Tiptons. They can't all be Jerry Tipton then. It's too negative. But you need one or two...” (Matt Jones, [04:02])

• On booing:

  “I've always believed this. You can boo coaches and you can boo the team collectively. We don't boo individual players, though.” (Caller Luke, [28:40])

• On Oregon/Stein dilemma:

  “I'm quacking. I want him to win the title. I think it's good for us... We will never get that kind of advertisement. Players will sit there and say, look at that guy. I want to go play in that offense.” (Matt Jones, [09:12])

• On team disconnect:

  “They just seem to really not like each other. And even if he found the basketball answers ... I don't know how you get this group on the same page.” (Drew Franklin, [50:33])

Segment Timestamps

• Show Start & Basketball Critique: [03:05]
• Media Criticism, Press Conferences, & Jerry Tipton: [03:36-05:19]
• Fan/Critic Debate on Booing: [24:36-29:19]
• Oregon/Stein/UK Playoff Impact: [07:30-10:27]
• Indiana & Notre Dame Playoff Discussion: [11:16-15:22]
• Bowl Snub, Academic Rankings: [17:00-17:25]
• Caller Stories & Hotel Incident: [23:19]
• The Godfather Movie Interlude: [26:10-39:38], [47:59-49:13]
• Team Issues, Fixing the Culture, Jaden Quaintance: [31:37-36:29], [50:11-51:24]
• Cultural References & Popcorn Calls: [48:32-49:46]

Tone & Style

Authentic, raw, and humorous—with KSR’s trademark blend of sports debate, listener interaction, and pop culture banter. The hosts balance insightful critique with irreverence, using self-deprecating humor and candid observations.

For KSR Fans & New Listeners

This episode is must-listen material for UK sports fans frustrated with the current direction of the teams, as well as those interested in the intersection of fan culture, media responsibility, and college athletics in the NIL era. The interplay of Kentucky sports news, honest media talk, and offbeat segments (from “Annabelle” ghosts to The Godfather) keeps the show light while still hitting hard at core issues.

End of Summary – KSR December 8, 2025, Hour 2