Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 1, February 12, 2026

Hosted by Matt Jones, with Ryan Lemon, Drew Franklin, and Shannon.
Location: KS Bar & Grill, Lexington, Kentucky

Overview

This episode of KSR delivers its signature blend of Kentucky basketball analysis, community event recaps, banter, and a dose of Winter Olympics chatter. Matt, Ryan, Drew, and Shannon discuss the aftermath of an icy Lexington, the chaos and fun of their live basketball pick 'em contest, break down UK basketball’s upcoming clash with Florida, and weigh in on key UK sports personalities. They cap things off with quirky Olympic stories and a mystery about military “party balloons.”

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Lexington's Winter Woes

• Matt shares his struggle with Lexington’s lingering ice, navigating a treacherous driveway, and using 'Spider-Man' and bear crawl techniques to reach his house.
  • Quote: "Yesterday afternoon, I had to bear crawl because I fell...I felt like I was the dude that climbed the building on Netflix, poking holes in the ice." (05:36, Matt Jones)
• Ryan and Drew echo the local challenge, commiserating about ice-skating to the trash and massive leftover snow piles in town.
• Shout-out to the sun for helping thaw the city: "No one has been happier to see the sun than our mayor. I'm a close second." (06:15, Drew Franklin)

2. KS Bar Basketball Pick 'Em: Contest Recap

• High Participation: 75 people entered, with a strong community showing.

• Contest Format & Mayhem:

  • The event was derailed by the Cal-Berkeley vs. Syracuse basketball game going into double overtime, throwing off the planned finals showdown and forcing on-the-fly adjustments.
  • Matt laments: "Stupid. Cal Berkeley, Syracuse decides to go into double overtime. First of all, what are those teams doing in the same conference?" (08:39, Matt Jones)

• Memorable Family Moment:

  • A family of five participates; four make the finals, including a 12-year-old who finishes fourth.
    • "That's a family that knows ball." (10:15, Matt Jones)
    • "The 12 year old, one of the first qualifiers..." (10:06, Ryan Lemon)

• Winners Announced:

  • 1st place: Lee ($1,000)
  • 2nd place: Avery ($300)
  • 3rd place: Dana Stevens
    • "Congratulations to Lee. Lee, you will win $1,000." (11:46, Matt Jones)

• Lessons Learned:

  • 1. "Vegas is good." Picking the spread often led to ties.
    • "There were three times that there was a multi person tie for closest in a game...Vegas is good." (13:01, Matt Jones)
  • 2. "The more you know about the team, the worse you did." Obscure games led to better picks than marquee matchups.
    • "The games people got the most correct, Shannon, were like Wofford-Samford...Then everybody out thinks themselves for Alabama-Ole Miss." (13:25, Matt Jones)

3. UK vs. Florida Basketball Preview

• Florida’s Strengths:
  • The crew views Florida as perhaps UK’s toughest test left. Their bigs and recent dominant wins are emphasized.
    • "Probably the hardest game on the schedule all year." (14:02, Matt Jones)
    • "They had 72 paint points against Alabama." (14:45, Drew Franklin)
• Kentucky’s Optimism vs. Skepticism:
  • Matt tries to inject positivity: "Why can't we be positive about this? They won at Tennessee. You didn’t think we were going to win at Tennessee? Or at Arkansas?" (16:06, Matt Jones)
  • Ryan and Drew remain cautious due to Florida’s hot streak and frontcourt depth.
  • History of Success: Matt notes UK has won six straight in the Swamp.
    • "We've won six straight in the Swamp... That's a pretty amazing run." (20:51, Matt Jones)

4. On Air Banter: Cameos & Community Engagement

• Ryan’s "creepy" Valentine Cameos generate laughs:
  • "Valentine's Day is for lovers." (22:14, Ryan Lemon)
  • Matt jokes it’s like "when Homer got Marge a bowling ball." (22:55, Matt Jones)
  • The crew reflects on the fading popularity of Cameo, calling it "the MySpace of today." (23:16, Ryan Lemon; 23:26, Matt Jones)

5. Inside the Media: Covering Coaches and Criticism

• Matt discusses relationships with UK coaches, especially the dynamics during the Calipari era:
  • Calipari was extremely divisive: "You're either team Cal or you're the enemy." (25:13, Matt Jones)
  • On reconciling with media members like Jeff Goodman after Cal’s tenure: "It's been good to reconnect... I forgive people." (24:20, Matt Jones)
  • On Balanced Criticism:
    • "If all criticism makes you a bad person, that's bad." (28:09, Matt Jones)
• On the perils of media getting too close to coaching staffs:
  • "I don’t think in the future I’ll ever become friends with any of these coaches again. I just don't think it's a smart thing to do." (29:45, Matt Jones)
  • Ryan recalls journalist advice: “Do not be friends with the people you cover.” (29:59, Ryan Lemon)

6. Olympics: Colorful Stories and Moral Dilemmas

Matt shares quirky or dramatic Olympic headlines:

• Finnish Ski Jumping Coach Ejected:
  • Got kicked out for "drinking too much around the village."
    • "How much do you think the Finnish coach was drinking if he was drinking too much around the village?" (32:23, Matt Jones)
• Proposal After Crash:
  • American skier Breezy Johnson crashes, then her boyfriend proposes in the finish area. The group debates if it's the right move.
    • "Sit your ass down in the stands and do the ring another time. This is about her and her Olympic gold journey." (35:24, Drew Franklin)
• Public Heartbreak:
  • The girlfriend of an athlete who publicly tried to win her back after cheating firmly rejects him.
• Ukrainian Skeleton Racer:
  • Barred from racing for wearing a helmet honoring war victims—a discussion about policy, protest, and the Olympics’ stance on political statements.

7. Conspiracy or Birthday Balloon? The El Paso Airport Closure

• The group speculates on government/military explanations for shutting down an airport, allegedly over a "party balloon":
  • Matt: "If it was not a party balloon, that makes us look stupid to say it's a party balloon. So the fact that they have not denied it... makes me believe it was a party balloon." (47:56, Matt Jones)
  • Drew: "I think they're bad at lying." (48:29, Drew Franklin)
  • Spiraling into speculation about military lasers and secret capabilities.

8. Closing Listener Questions

• Fans write and call regarding team confidence, historical performance, and the media’s handling of coaches.
• Defending criticisms of Calipari era:
  • "It was not okay to lose to St. Peter's and to lose to Oakland and to have like one tournament win in five years... He deserved to be criticized. I think he was just so thin-skinned he couldn't handle it." (46:12, Ryan Lemon)

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• "Yesterday afternoon, I had to bear crawl because I fell." — Matt Jones (05:36)
• "Vegas is good." — Matt Jones (13:01)
• "The more you know about the team, the worse you did in the game." — Matt Jones (13:25)
• "That's a family that knows ball." — Matt Jones, re: pick 'em contest (10:15)
• "Why can't we be positive about this? They won at Tennessee. You didn’t think we were going to win at Tennessee? Or at Arkansas?" — Matt Jones (16:06)
• "It was not okay to lose to St. Peter's and to lose to Oakland... He deserved to be criticized." — Ryan Lemon (46:12)
• "Do not be friends with the people you cover." — Advice remembered by Ryan Lemon (29:59)
• "How much do you think the Finnish coach was drinking if he was drinking too much around the village?" — Matt Jones (32:23)
• "Sit your ass down in the stands and do the ring another time." — Drew Franklin (35:24)
• "If it was not a party balloon, that makes us look stupid to say it’s a party balloon." — Matt Jones (47:56)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:07 – Icy Lexington stories and local weather struggle
• 06:06 – Shout-out to the sun, lingering snow piles
• 06:56 – KS Bar basketball pick ‘em contest recap
• 10:00 – Family dominates pick’em final; winners announced
• 13:01 – Lessons from the contest: Vegas odds
• 14:02 – UK vs. Florida preview begins
• 16:06 – Kentucky’s historical road game success
• 20:38 – More UK-Florida analysis, caller texts
• 22:04 – Ryan’s “creepy” cameo stories
• 25:13 – Calipari-era media relationships
• 28:09 – Discussing criticism and fair coverage
• 32:05 – Olympic update: Finnish coach ejected
• 34:07 – Proposal after crash story/conversation
• 46:12 – On Calipari’s legacy and fair criticism
• 47:56 – Airport “party balloon” closure and military lasers

Tone & Style

The episode balances playful camaraderie with pointed sports analysis and community warmth. Matt’s storytelling and the group’s teasing keep things lively, while deeper topics (like media ethics and UK basketball’s legacy) add substance. Even tangents—Olympics, balloons, cameo requests—are handled with humor and in the same casual, insider style KSR fans expect.

For more: Tune in each weekday 10-noon, or visit the KSR website for podcast archives and upcoming events.