KSR (Kentucky Sports Radio) — Hour 2

Date: January 20, 2026
Hosts: Matt Jones, Shannon Dawson, Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin
Podcast Network: iHeartPodcasts / Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)

Episode Overview

This hour of KSR brings a lively and wide-ranging discussion of the aftermath of Indiana football’s national title, Kentucky basketball’s team identity, college sports’ “new era” with NIL and roster turnover, issues like player prop bets, and fun banter about hockey fights, sports nicknames, and a colorful call-in segment with “Truth.” The hosts’ tone is energetic, irreverent, and heavily flavored by their Kentucky roots.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Indiana Hoosiers Claim the College Football Crown

[02:16 – 06:12]

• Matt Jones introduces a reluctant discussion on Indiana’s surprising national title, praising their run through powerhouses (Ohio State, Alabama, Oregon—twice—and Miami):

  "It is certainly, however, deserved. You could argue one of...maybe not the best, but one of the best college football performances ever." (Matt Jones, 02:16)

• Drew Franklin admits the run is impressive but jokes that Indiana is hard to root for as UK’s basketball rival:

  "How can you not like Mendoza? ... But if it just wasn't the stinking Hoosiers… I was happy for Mendoza, not Indiana." (Drew Franklin, 03:55)

• Ryan Lemond shares personal pride:

  "My 84 year old dad called me because he was so excited...All my childhood friends are sending me text messages." (Ryan Lemond, 05:24)

• Discussion of the cultural impact, “lottery ticket” analogy on jealousy (Kumar = Indiana):

  "But so we're happy for him...in theory. And it also means it could happen to us, but then it didn't..." (Matt Jones, 06:48)

• Consensus: Indiana’s win is both historic and personally bittersweet for neighboring Kentucky fans.

2. Memorable Call-in: ‘Truth’ the Fan and Lay Minister

[08:34 – 14:32]

• “Truth” calls in, blending heartfelt comments about Matt’s family with an unexpected story about performing a funeral for a same-sex couple in South Carolina:

  "So I came 11 hours and I done the funeral..." (Truth, 09:28)
  "If you love somebody, it's between you and God… You can't make mules out of thoroughbreds, so you got to match them up..." (Truth, 10:18)

• Classic “Truth-isms” emerge, especially in his wedding/marriage advice:

  "If you want to marry a mule, you marry a mule. If you want to marry a thoroughbred, you marry a thoroughbred." (Truth, 10:46)
  (Matt: “No one wants to be called a mule at their wedding, Truth!” 10:49-10:56)

• Drops Proverbs 18:22 as his go-to marriage verse.

• The hosts are equal parts entertained and perplexed, poking gentle fun at Truth’s unique phrasing and wisdom.

3. Kentucky Basketball Team Nicknames & Identity

[14:41 – 18:47]

• Caller “Todd” suggests calling the team the “Rally Cats” and fans turning their hats inside out ("rally caps") for comebacks.
• Host reactions:

  "But I'm not going to call the team the rally caps if they don't have caps..." (Matt Jones, 15:40)

• Discussion of old nicknames (“Devastation Inc.,” “Clawback Cats”) and the urge to name every team.
• Entertaining hosting: "Second Halfables" is derided as the “worst name ever.”

4. Should Kentucky & U.S. ‘Do Something’ About Greenland?

[18:47 – 21:13]

• A listener asks what the hosts think the U.S. should do about Greenland (a running joke).
• The panel unanimously decides to “leave Greenland alone,” poking fun at American interventionism:

  "Not once in my life...have I ever thought we should do something about Greenland. Leave them alone." (Ryan Lemond, 20:13)
  "Let's look inward at America and fix that and let Greenland be Greenland." (Drew Franklin, 20:35)

5. Gambling: Player Props for College Sports

[21:13 – 22:40]

• Kentucky legislature is considering banning all college player props.
• The crew opposes the ban, especially with “over-only” (no unders) currently legal, agreeing that bans only push activity underground.

  "It's not the worst thing...but all those player prop bets will just go underground and be harder to track." (Matt Jones, 21:54)
  "If you want to bet on yourself to get the over, then it's fine, but you're not going to just purposely tank." (Shannon Dawson, 22:14)

6. Lighthearted: Hockey Goalie Fight & Sportsmanship

[22:44 – 24:08]

• Reaction to viral hockey fight between goalies—skating to center ice to brawl.
• The spectacle is likened to “final bosses”:

  "They lock eyes… we're the heavyweights." (Drew Franklin, 23:25)

• Banter about which cohost would start the most fights (“Ryan would be that guy for this team...”).
• Lively, joking camaraderie.

7. Mailbag & More: Dual-Sport Success, NIL, and College ADs

[31:00 – 34:54]

• Can UK (or anyone) excel in both football & basketball in the new NIL era?
• Discussion: Florida’s 2000s run cited.
• Matt predicts every Power 4 team will get some “stars,” but success is now about managing “the back 75%” of the roster and collective resources.

  "Our next president, our next AD might be somebody that doesn't really know anything about sports, but is a number pusher." (Matt Jones, 33:17)

• Drew adds that aligning donors/resources and hiring “general managers” will become vital, especially in basketball.

8. Basketball Lineup Consistency & Inconsistency

[41:16 – 43:32]

• Caller Joe is optimistic that players now “define their roles” with more consistent rotation.

• Drew is less convinced, still needing evidence the team has truly “turned a corner” rather than just getting hot:

  "They’ve been so inconsistent...still haven’t answered… this team now is what it is..." (Drew Franklin, 42:19/42:57)

• Matt: If they beat Texas & Ole Miss, he'll believe stronger in their NCAA tourney odds.

9. Fun Quote Highlight Reel

On Indiana’s Run:

• "Indiana is the best story ever, and it's not even close." (Matt Jones, 03:17)
• "I don't know what he just said, but I was locked in." (Drew Franklin, 14:14)

On sports nicknames:

• "Second Halfables is the worst name ever." (Matt Jones, 18:28)

On Greenland:

• "Not once in my life...have I ever thought we should do something about Greenland. Leave them alone." (Ryan Lemond, 20:13)

On NIL & College Sports:

• "Our next president, our next AD might be somebody that doesn't really know anything about sports, but is a number pusher." (Matt Jones, 33:17)

On Gambling/Bets:

• "If you want to bet on yourself to get the over, then it's fine..." (Shannon Dawson, 22:14)

Timestamps for Notable Segments

• [02:16] — Indiana football's national championship run discussed
• [08:34] — Call-in from Truth: tales of funerals, marriage, and Hoosier fandom
• [14:41] — Nicknaming the basketball team: “Rally Cats,” “Second Halfables,” “Clawback Cats”
• [18:47] — "What should we do about Greenland?" roundtable
• [21:13] — Kentucky legislature debating ban on player props
• [22:44] — Hockey goalies’ center-ice fight
• [31:00] — Can Kentucky (or anyone) be a football and basketball power in NIL era?
• [41:16] — Caller Joe on basketball lineup, roles, tourney hopes

Memorable Quotes (Speaker & Timestamp)

• "If you want to marry a mule, you marry a mule. If you want to marry a thoroughbred, you marry a thoroughbred."
  — Truth, 10:46

• "Not once in my life...have I ever thought we should do something about Greenland. Leave them alone."
  — Ryan Lemond, 20:13

• "Our next president, our next AD might be somebody that doesn't really know anything about sports, but is a number pusher."
  — Matt Jones, 33:17

• "I don't know what he just said, but I was locked in."
  — Drew Franklin, 14:14

Summary & Tone

This episode is a classic KSR blend of sports analysis, Kentucky-specific humor, and off-the-wall banter—with segments popular for their candidness (“Truth”) and crowd-pleasing takes on college athletics’ turbulent landscape. The show mixes nostalgia, real-time reactions, and wit, appealing to Kentucky fans and broader sports audiences alike.