KSR - Hour 2 (Kentucky Sports Radio)

Date: February 4, 2026
Hosts: Matt Jones & KSR Crew
Location: Live from San Francisco (Super Bowl Radio Row)
Podcast Theme: Kentucky Sports, UK Basketball, Radio Row Experiences, and Show Banter

Episode Overview

This episode takes place live from San Francisco during Super Bowl week. The KSR crew—led by Matt Jones—discusses Kentucky basketball's recent performances, plans an audience blind date at a UK-Vandy game, reflects on the impact of media consolidation, and shares behind-the-scenes stories on networking, mascots, and hosting the nation's top-rated midday sports show. There's plenty of lighthearted banter, advice, and audience interaction, all in classic KSR form.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Billy’s Ambition & Networking at Radio Row

• Debate on Job Hopping: Billy voices his dream to work in NFL broadcasting, sparking gentle teasing and practical career advice from Matt.
  • Matt advises Billy:

    "Don't look at your people you're working with and tell them you want another job. That's not... People don't like that." (09:10)

  • Drew and others joke about Billy seeking advancement on the trip they arranged for him.
• Mentorship & Self-Presentation:
  • Matt reflects on Billy's excitement sometimes getting in the way of professionalism.
  • Billy has prepared a networking QR code, bringing a digital touch to his efforts.

2. KSR Blind Date at a UK Basketball Game

• Revisiting Old Stunts:
  • The hosts reminisce about past “KSR Dating Game” segments and recall both awkward and fun results.
  • Matt muses:

    "Maybe UK basketball is a good first [date]... At dinner, nothing's going on except the two of you. At a basketball game, you could talk about what's happening." (15:48)

  • The crew contemplates hosting another live blind date during the Vandy game (Saturday, 2/28, 2pm), suggesting "if it goes well, it could morph into the postgame show and then dinner."
  • Discussion on ideal age groups for the blind date—settling on the likelihood of younger participants but expressing interest in an older demographic for better odds of a match.

3. Complaints About Coach Mark Pope’s Vocabulary

• Fan Feedback:
  • Listener writes in, exasperated about Coach Pope using “special” excessively.
  • Matt and Drew analyze the impact:

    "If everything’s special, nothing’s special... It’s a verbal crutch, but it also showcases his optimism." (24:10)

  • Added anecdote: Pope's wife once asked him to stop calling everything or everyone "beautiful"—which may have led to “special” becoming his fallback word.

4. Kentucky Basketball: Optimism & Tournament Hopes

• Season Analysis:
  • The crew reflects with cautious optimism: recent big win at Arkansas, but calls attention to the team’s inconsistencies.
  • Tonight’s game against Oklahoma (a potential “quad 3 loss”) is crucial:

    "If you lose tonight, you lose everything that you got from the Arkansas game. ... This is one that, if they want to keep you out, they could point to and say, you lost to Oklahoma at home." (30:45)

• Call-In Segment:
  • “Pickleball Paul” and others share observations and concerns about both player development and former Wildcats now at Arkansas.
  • Discussion turns to DJ Wagner’s disappointing collegiate career, suggesting the Calipari connection may have contributed to his continued, yet unremarkable, playing time.

5. Media Industry Changes ("Death of the Sports Section")

• Washington Post Shutters Sports Desk:
  • Matt and crew lament the end of an era, citing the Washington Post’s sports section closure.
  • Matt points to consolidation under new ownership (Jeff Bezos) as the likely cause and the contrast to the New York Times’ continued success:

    "...when these people that come from a world of just making money take over... It can just completely fall apart if you miss the culture of why something works." (54:39)

6. KSR Named #1 Midday Sports Show

• National Recognition:
  • KSR has been named the top midday show in America for its market size, beating out much larger markets.
  • Matt Jones,

    "Even though Lexington is the smallest city on the list, we’re ranked number one. ... The people that vote on this are industry peers nationwide." (59:16)

  • The team reflects on how far the show has come, including Ryan Lemond’s early-morning excited text message.
  • Good-natured ribbing of the “Really Big Show” in Cleveland, which placed #2.

7. Mascots and Odd First Jobs

• Mascot Stories:
  • Drew recounts being asked to wear a frog costume for Anderson Communities in college—he declined.
  • Lighthearted banter about whether heavy mascot costumes earn scholarships, and memories resurface about past mascot mishaps at UK games, like Jamal McGlore tossing the Miami of Ohio Redhawk mascot in the 1999 Sweet 16.
  • Matt, laughing:

    "As he ran off... the mascot ran in between... Jamal McGlore... chucked the mascot with two hands and threw him into the ground." (1:22:45)

8. Radio Row and Meeting NFL Celebrities

• NFL Set Excitement:
  • The crew prepares for their big moment recording on the main NFL set with A-list guests: Terrell Davis, Christian McCaffrey, Bryce Young.
  • Billy and Mario are giddy about possible celebrity encounters (e.g., Peter Schrager, Jon Gruden, Dan Orlovsky, Field Yates).
  • Matt notes he will finally meet ESPN's key decision-maker, Dave Roberts.

9. Show Promotion & Upcoming Segments

• Tonight’s Pre- and Postgame Shows:
  • Pre-game live at KSBar with Ryan, Jack Pilgrim, Romel Bradley, 6:30pm EST.
  • Post-game will be late-night from San Francisco.
• Fun on the Road:
  • Drew relishes road trip postgame “group collaboration” and their spontaneous, sometimes hectic set-ups (1:32:00).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Networking:

  • Matt to Billy:

    "As a strategy, I think it's a fair piece of advice to not say to the person that helped bring you here, can't wait to meet people to work somewhere else..." (12:40)

• On Coach Pope's Lexicon:

  • Fan text:

    “He says special all the time. He’s even ruined the word special’s meaning for me. ... We have to stop saying special. It is becoming a curse.” (24:10)

• On the Blind Date Plan:

  • Matt:

    "Maybe we'll just say what women want to do it and then, based on the age we get, then we'll pick the bachelors." (1:17:13)

• On UK Basketball’s Postseason Outlook:

  • Matt:

    "If we win tonight, I will feel really good about it... But we need to win tonight." (31:33)

  • Drew:

    "It's the inconsistencies that are so bad, but I at least feel confident that they'll be in the tournament." (31:00)

• Mascot Antics:

  • Matt recounting 1999’s UK vs. Miami (OH):

    "Jamal McGlore could have gotten out of the way. Instead, he just... chucked the mascot with two hands and threw him into the ground." (1:22:45)

• On Losing Traditional Sports Media:

  • Matt:

    "When these people that come from a world of just making money take over... if you miss the culture of why something works... it can just completely fall apart." (54:39)

Timestamps for Segments

• Billy’s Career & Mentorship – 09:10–14:00
• KSR Blind Date / Dating Game & Scheduling – 15:48–24:00 & 1:17:00–1:21:15
• Coach Mark Pope’s “Special” Word – 24:10–28:45
• UK Basketball Tournament Scenarios – 30:45–34:54
• DJ Wagner & Player Development Calls – 38:10–46:00
• Washington Post Sports Desk Closes – 54:39–57:44
• KSR Wins Top Midday Show – 59:16–1:01:45
• Mascots & McGlore’s Redhawk Incident – 1:22:45–1:25:50
• NFL Radio Row & Show Prep – 1:30:40–1:35:30

Natural & Engaging Moments

• Good-natured teasing of Billy’s ambitions (and QR code networking).
• Audience participation and live calls—with quick-witted KSR responses.
• Relatable nostalgia and humor in mascot, date, and office anecdotes.
• Pride and humility over KSR’s national recognition.
• Candid reflection on the changing media landscape.

KSR continues its mix of UK sports coverage, offbeat life stories, and lively banter, reaffirming why they’re the nation’s top midday sports show—all while making listeners feel like part of the crew, whether they’re in Lexington or San Francisco.