Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 2

Date: December 15, 2025
Hosts: Matt Jones and the KSR Crew
Theme: Latest UK sports news, Final Four volleyball excitement, coaching talk, and eccentric Kentucky life

Episode Overview

This hour of KSR is a lively variety of topics centered on Kentucky sports, campus culture, and some familiar KSR hijinks. The segment dives into the Kentucky volleyball team’s surge to the Final Four, shifts in football staff, cultural quirks (like parents’ thermostat habits), memorable listener calls, and UK basketball’s infamous practice facility shooting woes. A healthy dose of humor, nostalgia, and candid opinions keep the hour moving.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. National News Throws Off the Vibe

• Matt Jones opens with his frustration over the tone of recent political discourse, referencing a negative comment by President Trump about Rob Reiner after his murder. Matt emphasizes expectations of empathy from elected leaders.
  • Quote [03:00]:
    “If you can’t say something nice when somebody dies, then don’t say anything at all… If you read that and you think that’s an okay thing to write when somebody gets murdered, like, you’re just… That’s disgusting.” – Matt
• The team quickly pivots to keep things on sports and light-hearted topics.

2. The Great Parent Thermostat Debate

• The hosts share stories about visiting parents and encountering sweltering indoor temperatures.
  • Matt: “78 degrees. It was, I was suffocating.”
  • Shannon: “If my house is ever 78, it’s on fire.”
• They joke about the generational shift—at what age do parents start cranking up the heat?

3. UK Volleyball: Final Four Hopes and Hype

• Kentucky’s women’s volleyball team dominates their way to the Final Four, defeating Cal Poly and Creighton, and benefiting from Texas and Nebraska’s surprising exits.
  • Quote [16:00]:
    “The team, two teams had the best chance of beating us—Nebraska and Texas—both out of the final four. We are the high-seeded team at the Final Four.” – Matt
• Discussion of Thursday’s matchup vs. Wisconsin, past trauma (Wisconsin losses in other sports), and plans for watch parties at KSBar.
• Matt celebrates the fun, upbeat vibe of volleyball (e.g., players’ choreographed dances during timeouts), comparing it to the seriousness of basketball and football.
  • Quote [22:50]:
    “I do think volleyball is the only sport where you can get away with… the players do choreographed dances during timeouts.”

4. UK Football Staff Updates

• New, young assistants are joining the football program, including hires from Ohio State, Texas San Antonio, and UCLA. Matt notes the youth and "assistant to the assistant" vibe, but sees potential hunger.
  • Quote [28:18]:
    “We’re hiring dudes who are assistants to the assistant regional manager. We’re making them full-time assistants and they’re going to be young and presumably hungry. Do you like that strategy?”

5. Name Generations & Listener Calls

• Spirited debate over family naming traditions: seniors, juniors, thirds, and “fifths.”
• Shannon reacts to the oddity of a football player named “Senior” with a dad named “Junior.”
• Timestamps:
  • [34:00] Caller Adam brings up coaching rumors about Jeff Brohm and Michigan.
  • [1:00:00] Matt fields other listener trivia and old Kentucky folklore calls.

6. UK Basketball: The Practice Facility Shooting 'Curse'

• Listener Damon revives the long-running theory: that the Joe Craft Center’s wall being so close behind the basket, unlike a regular arena, affects UK shooters’ depth perception.
  • Quote [58:45]:
    “If you’ve ever been in [the Joe Craft Center], the wall is directly behind the basket. And I’ve always wondered if that affects our shooting…” – Matt
• The crew floats ideas like painting fans on the walls to create “arena depth.”
• Contrasts between UK’s setup and schools like Duke or Kansas practicing in their arenas.

7. Rapid-Fire KSR Topics & Pop Culture Moments

• John Cena’s retirement: Shannon pokes fun at Cena’s “Never Give Up” persona, only to go out by giving up.
  • Quote [52:00]:
    “He literally built his entire career off of one catchphrase—never give up. And he gave up.” – Shannon
• The role of language and inside jokes in wrestling (the “go out on your back/giving a rub” awkwardness).
• Saliva and George Michael come up during bumper music, prompting 5-inch vs. 7-inch shorts banter.
• Political aftermath (Trump’s Army-Navy “coin flip”) and international headlines (Australian gun heroism).

8. Listener Stories and Local Color

• Knoxville resident versus Tennessee orange and college ornament sabotage.
  • Caller Matt [1:38:00]: “The Tennessee orange is the worst color ever. Drew, when you feed your baby pureed carrots, you’re gonna see Tennessee orange coming out the other end.”
• Nostalgia for Kentucky’s Americana restaurants and local chicken joints.

9. Show Business: Trivia & Watch Parties

• Promotes upcoming trivia night and KSBar volleyball watch party.
• Looking for a KSBar Playoff sponsor and discusses fun with bowl games and contests.

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• On Trump’s Post about Rob Reiner:
  “If you can’t say something nice when somebody dies, then don’t say anything at all. And if you’re the president… That’s disgusting.” – Matt [03:15]
• On Parental Thermostats:
  “If my house is ever 78, it’s on fire.” – Shannon [06:25]
• On the Volleyball Final Four:
  “We are the high-seeded team at the Final Four… Just got to finish the job.” – Matt [16:10]
• On UK Football Staff:
  “We’re hiring dudes who are assistants to the assistant regional manager.” – Matt [28:18]
• On John Cena’s Retirement:
  “He literally built his entire career off of one catchphrase—never give up. And he gave up.” – Shannon [52:00]
• On Practice Facility Shooting Theory:
  “If you’ve ever been in [the Joe Craft Center], the wall is directly behind the basket. And I’ve always wondered if that affects our shooting…” – Matt [58:45]
• On Orange Car Wash in Knoxville:
  “Not washing my car there. I’d rather be dirty.” – Matt [1:38:45]

Important Segments & Timestamps

• [03:00] – Political news and reaction
• [06:00] – Parental thermostat hilarity
• [16:00] – Volleyball team analysis & hype
• [22:50] – Culture of volleyball vs. basketball
• [28:18] – New UK Football staff, assistant names
• [34:00] – Coaching rumors: Jeff Brohm
• [52:00] – John Cena’s send-off & wrestling lingo
• [58:45] – UK basketball “shooting curse” and facility debate
• [1:22:00] – Army-Navy, Trump’s coin flip, heroism in Australia
• [1:38:00] – Listener calls, Tennessee orange, family naming

Tone & Style

Casual, humorous, and candid. The KSR crew’s easy chemistry shines through, mixing sports talk with Kentucky culture, light ribbing, and real fan engagement. Matt brings authentic emotion and curiosity, with Shannon and other co-hosts grounding the show in relatable humor and rapid responses to roll-in listener calls.

Summary

This hour is a quintessential KSR blend: celebratory UK volleyball talk, surging anticipation for Thursday’s Final Four, healthy skepticism over new football hires, endearing Kentucky oddities, and nostalgic stories. The “shooting depth” dilemma persists for UK basketball, and the show’s fan-centered format—mixed with pop culture asides and classic call-ins—makes for a lively, comprehensive look at the state of UK sports and its community.