Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) - Hour 2

Date: February 18, 2026
Host: Matt Jones and the KSR crew
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and Sports Talk 790 (WKRD-AM)

Episode Overview

This hour continues the blend of lighthearted banter and serious discussion central to Kentucky Sports Radio. The KSR crew—Matt Jones, Drew Franklin, Ryan Lemond, and Shannon The Dude—shift from frustrations over UK basketball’s recent struggles to entertaining Olympic talk, NIL donor implications, the dynamics of “Love Is Blind: Ohio,” and the importance of Kentucky’s diverse fanbase. Listeners call in to vent, ask questions, and share Kentucky sports love, all sprinkled with the show’s signature wit and camaraderie.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Levity: Winter Olympics Deep Dive

Timestamps: 04:15–11:41

• Olympic Sport Skill hypotheticals: Crew debates which Winter Olympic event they'd have the best shot at with a year of training—bobsled (especially third position) is the near-unanimous, humor-filled winner.

  • Matt Jones:
    • “If you want to do the team bobsled, the place you need to be is third... the third person is just along for the ride. I think this is the correct answer.” (05:46)
    • “There are a couple sports I’d be interested how they decided to do them. Like skeleton... the luge always seemed crazy dangerous. What made them decide, how about we go head first?” (07:08)

• Two-man Luge Antics: Extended riff on the absurdity and origins of the two-man luge, packed with innuendo and laughter about the sport’s required “spooning.” The crew imagines a multi-person luge for comedic effect.

  • Drew Franklin:

    • “It’s one of the only two man sports where you literally have to spoon. Like, you have to cuddle a bit to be good at it.” (08:48)
    • “Every round you add another person... six or seven Russians just on top of each other.” (11:02)

  • Shannon The Dude:

    • “If you don’t like him, Greeny’s on top!” (08:40)

• Olympic Events Update:

  • Discussion of upsets (Canada vs. Czechia), the upcoming women’s USA Hockey final, and figure skating disappointments.

2. UK Basketball: Bubble Watch & Tournament Worries

Timestamps: 13:01–16:20

• Fan Frustration:

  • Caller Joseph laments lost opportunities—crew assesses the real possibility Kentucky misses the NCAA tournament if results slide.

  • Matt Jones:

    • “If we lose all [remaining games]... I don’t know that we make the tournament. We probably don’t. And if we win one, we’re probably in. But... it’s not a given yet.” (14:24)

  • Drew Franklin:

    • “Next two [games] might even be the most winnable. South Carolina, they’re down bad... But you cannot—road or not—lose that one.” (15:06)

3. NIL (Name, Image, Likeness): The Donor ‘Death Spiral’

Timestamps: 21:02–25:27

• Future of Donor Funding:

  • The crew ponders whether disappointing seasons will cause major donors to pull back, risking a downward cycle in program resources and recruiting.

  • Notable Quote:

    • “You can have a death spiral... If you spend a lot of money and don’t win, donors don’t want to give you as much… which makes your team worse.” – Matt Jones (21:54)

    • “The whole economics of NIL goes against what rich people do… their goal is to make money… with NIL, you’re not making the money back, it’s just for happiness.” – Matt Jones (22:46)

  • Drew Franklin:

    • “If you go a couple seasons [without success], I don’t think these rich people would keep writing the check.” (22:12)

4. Reality TV Local Angle: “Love Is Blind: Ohio”

Timestamps: 25:27–29:38

• Show Discussion:

  • Matt notes the current season’s Cincinnati-centric cast; crew jokes about the show’s premise, authenticity, and the visibility of local singles on national TV. Listeners text corrections about cast locations.

  • Drew Franklin:

    • “Some people will just blatantly lie about what they look like, get engaged… then they still try to make it work, but it’s clear they don’t like each other.” (26:52)

  • Matt Jones:

    • “All these people are from Cincinnati... there’s got to be a lot of people listening who know someone on the show!” (27:14)

5. Female Fans & Positivity vs. Male Cynicism

Timestamps: 32:00–37:48

• Women’s Optimism:

  • Reaction to positive caller “Darlene”; the hosts reflect on how female fans tend to express more positivity than male fans, both on air and on social media.

  • Matt Jones:

    • “I do wonder... our female fanbase is much more positive than our male fanbase.” (32:18)
    • “A huge part of our fan base is women, and they are probably much more positive, generally speaking, than the males.” (33:27)
    • “If I can get those [casual and female] listeners, the hardcores come along for the ride.” (35:48)

  • Drew Franklin:

    • “We rarely get a negative female call... Women are just nicer.” (35:48)

6. KSR Community & Inside Jokes

Timestamps: 29:54–31:06; 47:08–50:03

• Transylvania Basketball Spotlight:

  • Quick celebration of the Transylvania Pioneers’ win streak, upcoming games, and plans for attending.

• Houses & Realtor Jokes:

  • Light ribbing as Ryan preps to show Matt a UK celebrity’s house, complete with stories of socks with holes.

• KSR Show Nostalgia:

  • Discussion of old “Hey, Kentucky!” videos and jokes about outrageous on-air moments and hair choices.

7. Spring Football Game Returns

Timestamps: 38:04–39:44

• Scheduling Optimism:

  • Enthusiasm about UK’s spring football game returning, with speculation about crowd sizes, campus events, and ideal scheduling around baseball and Keeneland.

  • Matt Jones:

    • “I love the idea of baseball game at 2, spring game at night… make it an awesome day on campus.” (39:03)

8. Calls & Engagement: Free Throw Woes & Wild Eggs Wednesday

Timestamps: 44:41–49:04

• Wild Eggs Wednesday:

  • A new contest for listeners: unscramble the word on KSR’s Instagram to win a gift card. Matt and Ryan joke about the difficulty of the scramble, suggesting possible AI solutions.

  • Free Throw Frustrations:

    • Caller John volunteers at 75 years old to teach the team free throws after another frustrating UK performance from the line. Memories of past segments with free throw “coaches” resurface.

9. Miscellaneous Highlights & Quotes

• On Donors Regretting NIL Gifts:

  • “There is someone who gave Zach Calzada $1.5 million and saw him sit the bench, then get on Snapchat and say, ‘Who? What? Gary, get your money!’” – Matt Jones & Drew Franklin (24:45–25:06)

• On Group Fan Mentality

  • “The biggest mistake Kentucky fans make is assuming the entire fan base is like them and their friends... if you only spend time with people that are like you, you think everyone is.” – Matt Jones (34:05)

Memorable Quotes

• On Olympic Events:

  • "Who's the crazy fool that decided [skeleton]? Feet first, now head first?" – Matt Jones (07:22)

  • "It's one of the only two man sports where you literally have to spoon... cuddle to be good at it." – Drew Franklin (08:48)

• On 'Love Is Blind' Reveal:

  • “She kept saying she looked like Megan Fox… and respectfully, she looked absolutely nothing like Megan Fox. And his face says, ‘you do not look like Megan Fox.’” – Drew Franklin (26:52)

• On NIL ‘Charity’:

  • “It’s like giving to a charity that doesn’t really do good work. You’re giving it just to make you personally happy for sports.” – Matt Jones (22:58)

• On Female/Male Fan Divide:

  • “Women are nicer… they fight in a different way, but they're nicer.” – Matt Jones (35:58)

Timestamps for Major Segments

• Winter Olympics Fun: 04:15–11:41
• UK Tournament Chances/Caller Joseph: 13:01–16:20
• NIL & Donor Discussion: 21:02–25:27
• Love Is Blind: Ohio: 25:27–29:38
• Women Fans & Positivity: 32:00–37:48
• Spring Football Game: 38:04–39:44
• Wild Eggs Contest & Free Throw Call: 44:41–49:04
• KSR Inside Jokes and Show Nostalgia: 47:08–50:03

Conclusion

Hour two of KSR masterfully blended Kentucky sports analysis (UK basketball’s precarious tourney odds, donor economics), relatable community moments (Olympic riffs, reality show tangents), and unique insights into Wildcat fandom demographics. The hosts kept the tone witty and inclusive while spotlighting how sports radio can transcend hardcore coverage, making space for laughter, general optimism, and the many ways a fanbase experiences heartbreak and hope.

For more: Listen to the episode or follow KSR and Matt Jones on social channels!