2026-05-22 KSR - Hour 2

Summary

Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) – Hour 2

Date: May 22, 2026
Hosts: Billy Rutledge, Nick Roush, Shannon
Episode Theme: Kickoff to Memorial Day weekend with summer fun, blockbuster movies, big Kentucky football recruiting news, spirited college baseball debate, and a lively caller-driven segment (plus WWE ticket giveaway).

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Main Episode Overview

This episode of KSR’s hour two is a relaxed, upbeat pre-holiday edition featuring Billy Rutledge and Nick Roush at the mics. With Matt Jones out, the duo leans into a mix of summer vibes—sharing personal updates, playful banter, a rundown of summer blockbuster movies, major Kentucky football recruiting news, and a heated debate about Kentucky baseball’s NCAA tournament hopes. The show closes with a rowdy caller contest for WWE Smackdown tickets and a quick look ahead at UK basketball roster moves.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

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1. KSR Crew Summer Fun & Wedding Updates

[03:31–05:38] – Light-hearted Banter, Bachelor Parties, and Weekend Hopes

• Billy announces he’s getting married in 2026: Shares about upcoming bachelor party in Chicago and plans for a KSR-hosted bachelor party.
• Nostalgia Moment: Hosts recall a “shirtless interview” from "back in the day" with Tony Vanetti—“It was just different back in the day, wasn’t it?” (Billy, 04:54).
• Summer Traditions: Nick riffs on grounding (walking barefoot in grass), summer concert fervor (shout-out to Railbird Festival and “Zach Top”), and the arrival of blockbuster movie season.

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2. Summer Blockbuster Movie Rundown

[05:39–16:21] – “Are You In, Out, or Waiting to Stream?”

A rapid-fire “in/out” roundtable on the biggest summer movies:

• Mandalorian and Grogu – new Star Wars movie
  • Billy (Star Wars fan): “I am completely out because...the Star Wars universe has been awful the last decade or so.” (06:23)
  • Nick: “You’re one of those Star Wars fans who’s too serious, who gets mad.” (06:34)
• Scary Movie reboot:
  • All hosts lukewarm (“will probably stream it, not enough to go to theaters”).
  • Shannon on the repeated concept: “We get it. We know what they do. It’s a parody.” (07:54)
• Super Troopers 3:
  • Billy & Nick: “First one was a classic. Second one was not great...I think I’m streaming.” (08:13)
• Supergirl (and general superhero movies):
  • Billy: “I am out on this one. Haven’t seen a Marvel movie since Endgame.” (08:58)
  • Discussion about Marvel vs. DC and Spider-man nostalgia—Billy loves Tobey Maguire as Spider-man, “I love Toby. I don’t know if Tom [Holland] captures my attention like Toby once did.” (09:37)
• The Odyssey (Christopher Nolan epic):
  • Nick, fired up: “This is the most excited I’ve been for a movie since...Gladiator 2. Christopher Nolan is making an epic about the 3,000-year-old Homer poem.” (10:14)
  • Billy: “I am all about seeing Zendaya as Athena.” (10:51)
• Kevin Hart’s 72 Hours (bachelor party comedy):
  • Billy (sarcastic): “Do you need money that bad? That sounds like a terrible premise of a bad Kevin Hart movie…” (11:49)
• Coyote vs. Acme:
  • Wile E. Coyote sues Acme, Will Forte and John Cena in starring roles.
  • Nick: “I cannot tell you how excited I am for this silly, silly movie.” (13:00)
  • Shannon, laughing: “Not going to the theater, but I’ll watch this. And I hope the coyote finally wins.” (13:22)

Notable Quotes:

• Nick: “Summer blockbuster movies...the big movies all coming out like Independence Day. Great summer blockbuster.” (05:41)
• Shannon, on theater snacks: “May or may not have brought an entire Steak and Shake meal into a theater...Fries. Cheesy fries...triple steakburger and a milkshake. That’s for two.” (14:51)

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3. Kentucky Football Recruiting Bonanza

[21:06–24:47] — Breaking News, Recruiting Successes, and Staff Praise

• Breaking News:
  • UK lands Griff Galloway, a 2027 three-star edge prospect from Charlotte.
  • Nick: “This kid’s dad works for Dabo at Clemson...He said, no, no, no. I don’t want to play for that dork. I want to go feed the studs with Will Stein and Jay Bateman at Kentucky...These guys are freaking crushing it, man. This is awesome.” (23:50)
• Staff out-muscles rivals:
  • Beats out Notre Dame, Clemson, and Virginia Tech (James Franklin).
  • Staff praised for relentless recruiting, especially new OC Will Stein and his assistants.
  • Kentucky poised to add more prospects soon: “They could get two running backs in a matter of 72 hours.” (24:14)

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4. Kentucky Baseball: NCAA Tournament Snub?

[24:47–28:25] — The NKU Controversy and Win Totals Debate

• Billy’s Hot Take:
  • “I don’t believe they deserve to be in the NCAA Tournament this year because of that game they canceled vs. NKU...I thought it was the softest thing that I’ve ever seen when it comes to sports here at Kentucky in a while.” (25:39)
  • Asserts that opting out to preserve RPI is the wrong mindset.
• Nick’s Counter:
  • “I am kind of with you, Billy…it’s just one part of it. The whole reason is they have five one-run losses in SEC play...This team had so many opportunities in the regular season.” (26:15)
  • Both agree the team’s pitching woes and lost series opportunities are problematic.
• Shannon:
  • More understanding, but also questions UK’s strength of schedule and SEC record (13-17).

Memorable Quote:

• Billy: “If you’re scared, go to church.” (26:58)

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5. Listener Call-In Round: Takes, Roasts, and UK Football Admin Search

[31:31–39:53] – Callers on Sitcoms, UK Football, and Administrative Frustrations

• Don: Praises ‘Rules of Engagement’ sitcom, shares excitement as a new season-ticket holder for football.
• Joe (Dixie Highway): Suggests combining Billy's bachelor party with Mitch Barnhart’s retirement party; both lauded and (playfully) roasted Barnhart.
• Nick on AD search:
  • “They’re just now hiring the search firm...I’m just worried that we’re going to get to June 30th and we’re still going to be like, okay, guys, so who’s it going to be?” (35:35)
• Caller Zach accuses Billy of being “the weakest link” hosting KSR (good-natured roast):
  • Billy’s retort: “I host the biggest radio show in the state of Kentucky...and you tell me my interview was poor. I’ve got tickets to give away. You’re not getting them, Zach.” (36:56–37:07)

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6. Summer Snacks & Watermelon Debate

[39:48–40:53] — Oddball Summer Favorites

• Shannon confesses to bringing steak and cheese fries into theaters.
• Watermelon poll: Salt or no salt? Shannon: “You do.”; Nick and Billy: “Nah, we’re just straight-up eaters.”
• The crew wax nostalgic about ice cream trucks, stands, and favorite cold treats.

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7. WWE Smackdown Ticket Giveaway — Best Wrestler Promo Contest

[47:50–51:11] — High-Energy Callers Make Their Cases

Contest Rules:
Callers have 10 seconds to pitch their favorite wrestler and why; Nick is judge and jury.

Standouts:

• Tessa: “The OG Sting...with colorful makeup and blonde hair. Not the black-and-white Sting. I used to try to do the Scorpion Death Drop on my brother.” (49:05)
• Howard (winner): “The styling, profiling, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealing, wheeling and dealing, son of a gun, Ric Flair!” (49:42)
• Brandon (as ‘Stone Cold’): “Oh, hell yeah! Because who doesn’t want to beat the crap out of their boss?” (50:03)

Nick crowns Howard thanks to his energetic Ric Flair impersonation and promo.
“Howard, you’re going to Smackdown!” (51:03)

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8. Closing Sports Hot Takes & UK Basketball Lookahead

[51:25–52:54]

• Malachi Moreno Watch:
  • Will he stay at Kentucky? Nick and Billy agree he holds all the leverage; rumor is UK will “ultimately cave and pay him handsomely” (51:47).
  • Moreno, if retained, is “going to be a stud. And we’re going to be fired up.” (52:08)
• Optimistic Sendoff:
  • “Let’s get this Kentucky basketball roster set...because if Moreno and [Momchilovich] come back, the dark days of April and May...don’t seem so dark at all.” (52:31)
  • Memorial Day reminder: “Let’s reflect on the many lives lost in the line of duty protecting our nation and the ones who bore those loss.” (53:02)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Star Wars fatigue:
  • Billy: “They have like...the Star Wars universe has been awful the last decade or so. I don't know what's happened.” (06:23)
• On UK football recruiting:
  • Nick: “This kid’s dad works for Dabo at Clemson. He said, no, no, no. I don’t want to play for that dork. I want to go feed the studs with Will Stein...These guys are freaking crushing it, man.” (23:47–24:03)
• On Kentucky baseball’s soft move:
  • Billy: “If you’re scared, go to church.” (26:58)
• The Ric Flair promo by Howard (caller):
  • “The styling, profiling, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealing, wheeling and dealing, son of a gun, Ric Flair, man.” (49:42)

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Important Timestamps

• KSR Crew Summer Banter & Weddings: 03:31–05:38
• Summer Blockbuster Segment: 05:39–16:21
• Movie Snacks & Theater Hacks: 14:28–16:21
• Kentucky Football Recruiting Breaking News: 21:06–24:47
• UK Baseball Tournament Debate: 24:47–28:25
• Listener Calls Begin: 31:31–39:53
• WWE Promo Contest: 47:50–51:11
• UK Basketball Recruiting Lookahead: 51:25–52:54
• Memorial Day Sign-off: 53:02

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Tone and Energy

The conversation is a relaxed, fun, and often playful mix. The hosts embrace the slow summer sports period with humor, personal anecdotes, honest sports takes, and good-natured ribbing—both at each other and from callers. There’s genuine excitement for UK football, a touch of frustration with baseball, and plenty of pop culture engagement. Energy peaks during the WWE ticket giveaway, with the Ric Flair impression delivering big laughs.

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Summary

Ideal for fans looking to catch up on UK recruiting buzz, share in some summer fun, and enjoy light-hearted sports radio with a side of movie and snack talk. This episode celebrates the start of summer, new beginnings (for Billy, for Kentucky football), and the passionate takes that make KSR a staple of Kentucky sports fandom.

Transcript

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[Shannon]

welcome to hour two of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.

[Billy Rutledge]

Welcome back. Hour number two of Kentucky Sports Radio Friday edition before a holiday weekend. So having a good time? It's Billy Rutledge and Nick Roush, who has made the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky mad at him, which I think was his goal coming into this.

[Nick Roush]

But no, I'm just telling them reality. Sometimes it's hard to face the truth and you got to shoot the messenger. And you know what? Fire away.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's right.

[Nick Roush]

Fire away.

[Billy Rutledge]

Big click. Nick here. We're having a good time. We were just talking about my wedding coming up.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

During the break.

[Nick Roush]

And Billy's getting hitched.

[Billy Rutledge]

It is not cheap.

[Nick Roush]

No, no.

[Billy Rutledge]

In 2026. Going to my bachelor party in Chicago. Coming up soon, a place you've been to a couple of times.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

To all this stuff. Matt says we're doing a KSR bachelor party, too.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, that'll be fun.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah. So whether that means Shannon going to the Druthers and getting some good food or going to maybe a little place out of the way and going to a bar, I think we could, we could have a good time with that, don't you think?

[Shannon]

Dude, if it ever happens, I would say this is probably one of those things that we can talk about that never happens. You know, so many things.

[Nick Roush]

It feels much easier than making you walk 50 Lexington.

[Shannon]

I know, right?

[Nick Roush]

You know, I mean, like, this is just like, no, we're going to go out one night and just have a good time. That's not. That's not asking too much.

[Shannon]

We were going to go out and celebrate here at 4th Street Live Way before we even had a radio station down here. That never happened. After the Louisville win. I forget what year that was. But that's one of the things that never happened. Billy, just add it to the list.

[Billy Rutledge]

Add it to the list.

[Shannon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, exactly. I was also showing Nick during one of these breaks the photo of us back in the day, shirtless, doing interviews with Tony Vanetti and Dwight Whitten. It was just different back in the day, wasn't it?

[Nick Roush]

Oh, yeah. Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

And why did we have our shirt off in that?

[Nick Roush]

You know, have a good time, right? This is summertime. Like, who. Who doesn't want to just take the shirt off? I'm big on taking the shoes off now. As an adult. I like to get my. My, my toes in between the grass, little grounding. Oh, yeah, yeah. You want to just feel Mother Nature, have a couple of pops. Railbird that's coming up here soon. That's going to be a big time summer activity at that. Zach top. Zach top. Great summer music. You know, it's just. I'm fired up dead the summer season here. You know what else happens during the summer, Billy?

[Billy Rutledge]

What's that?

[Nick Roush]

Summer blockbuster movies.

[Billy Rutledge]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Nick Roush]

The big movies all coming out like Independence Day. Great summer blockbuster.

[Billy Rutledge]

Pendants Day was a great.

[Nick Roush]

I mean, there was like a. It was like every year for like three or four years, Will Smith had just a banger come out on the 4th of July. And you know what, Billy? This year we got the return of some bangers. All right.

[Billy Rutledge]

Are you gonna make people mad about movies too, Nick?

[Nick Roush]

Maybe.

[Billy Rutledge]

Maybe. Shows in the first hour.

[Nick Roush]

All right, Shane, I want you to play along with this too. Are you in, are you out, or are you waiting to stream it?

[Shannon]

All right, let's go. Yep.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay. Yeah.

[Nick Roush]

First up, coming out this weekend, Mandalorian and Grogu, the new Star wars movie.

[Shannon]

Oh, God, never. I'm not gonna watch it. Forget about it.

[Nick Roush]

No.

[Billy Rutledge]

I knew what Shannon's answer was gonna be. I'm a huge Star wars guy, but I am. I am out on this.

[Nick Roush]

All the way out.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yes. I've already watched the TV show. I've heard really bad things about this. I am completely out because I am. They have like. The Star wars universe has been awful the last decade or so. I don't know what's happened.

[Nick Roush]

You're one of those, Billy. You're one of those Star wars fans who's too serious, who gets mad. You know, it could just be a fun movie.

[Billy Rutledge]

Besides Andor, which was fantastic.

[Nick Roush]

I just finished the first season. It is fantastic.

[Billy Rutledge]

It gets even better. Yeah. And look at a Star wars nerding out. He's getting so disappointed with some of the reviews I've seen from that. So I'm out.

[Nick Roush]

Okay, I'll wait to stream. Yeah, my kids aren't quite an old take, so we'll wait to stream on that one scary movie. They're doing another scary movie with the original cast. Think Scary Movie 2, one of the funnier movies ever. Shannon, are you in on this reboot?

[Shannon]

I'll probably stream it, but how many can they possibly make? I mean, they just. What is this, like, 10? How many have they done?

[Nick Roush]

I want to say six. Maybe five or six.

[Shannon]

Okay. So not quite 10. Yeah.

[Nick Roush]

This is the original group of the Wayans is. And Anna Faris. Okay.

[Shannon]

Well, if you're asking me, is it enough to get me into a theater, no. But will I stream it? Yes, I'll check it out.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, maybe the popcorn bucket might. Have you seen what they're doing? I think it's like a big bong or something with a little extra butter on it. So they've been definitely going out, all out for it to get people in the theaters. I'm going to wait and stream it because I just don't know if that. That kind of movie can be funny in 2026. Yeah, comedy's a little bit in a better spot than it was five years ago or so.

[Nick Roush]

But, like, I think I enjoyed the original scary movies because I was young and that humor was funny to me.

[Shannon]

Seen it like, we've seen this now. Yeah, times. We get it. We know what they do. It's a parody. Yeah.

[Nick Roush]

So I'm out on that. Are you in on A Super Troopers 3? A third Super Troopers? I did not know they were making another Super Troopers until I saw this list.

[Billy Rutledge]

First one was a classic.

[Nick Roush]

Second one, not great.

[Billy Rutledge]

Second one was not great, so.

[Nick Roush]

But the first one was great.

[Billy Rutledge]

Can we hope that it rebounds a little bit?

[Nick Roush]

I will stream this. I will give it a try down the road, but I will not go to a movie. I did go to a movie theater to see Super Troopers 2 for the same. I was like, you know what? I like one so much, I'll give them some of my money at the movie theater because I've laughed so much at the first one.

[Billy Rutledge]

Wow. Well, that's. I think I'm. I think I'm streaming on this, too. I'm. I'm cautiously optimistic with how bad the second one was.

[Shannon]

Dude, what about you? I'm with you guys. Not enough to get me to leave the house. I will check it out, but not in theaters.

[Nick Roush]

Here's a great. I know you love superhero movies, Shannon. This is a big summer for superhero movies. Supergirl. Supergirl.

[Shannon]

No.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

Not me.

[Billy Rutledge]

I am out on this one. I haven't seen a Marvel movie since Endgame.

[Shannon]

Well, but this is dc.

[Nick Roush]

This is not Marvel.

[Billy Rutledge]

This is a. Okay, this is different.

[Nick Roush]

Come on. You thought you were the nerd with me.

[Billy Rutledge]

Hold on.

[Shannon]

You two have to help me with this. Why is there a big, like, debate between Marvel and dc? What's, what's the difference here?

[Nick Roush]

Well, DC is like Batman, Superman, and those movies have generally been bad. Yeah. Whereas like Marvel, they had a good run for a while, but they've been bad. And now Marvel, they're trying to come back. They've got a new Spider man with Tom Holland. Does that, does that get you going, Billy? Does that get you excited?

[Billy Rutledge]

I love a little. Is it Toby Maguire who did it back in the day?

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, yeah. You like Toby?

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, I love Toby. I don't know if Tom captures my attention. Like Toby once Zendaya and all that. So I'm, I'm always rumors that they're,

[Nick Roush]

they're married or they're engaged or I don't know. But little on air romance turned into off air, you know.

[Billy Rutledge]

I see there's no, is it James Franco that was in the first one? I'm living in the past.

[Nick Roush]

You're so mad. I, I, I, I admittedly have missed this series and I'm, I'm, I'm, I'll wait for both of them. That's fine. That doesn't really get me fired up, but I gotta tell you, this one gets me really fired.

[Billy Rutledge]

So this is the one that's getting you in the theaters? This next one.

[Nick Roush]

This one's getting me in the theaters. This is the most excited I've been for a movie since the last time I went to the movies, which was Gladiator 2. But I don't gotta go to the movies a lot. The Odyssey. Christopher Nolan is making an epic about the 3,000 year old Homer poem. Shannon, do you get fired up? The chance to watch Matt Damon travel across the sea and fight monsters and get inside a Trojan horse.

[Shannon]

No, but it sounds like you're fired up enough for you and me, so, like, I like that you're so excited about it. So I think you should go watch it and just give me your review.

[Nick Roush]

Okay, I'll give you the review. I'll let you know how it goes.

[Shannon]

Yeah, there you go.

[Nick Roush]

You're in.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah. I took a Greek mythology class.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, nice.

[Billy Rutledge]

College. So I am all about seeing Zendaya as Athena and maybe some of the other stuff that they got going on.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, man. Age of Mythology, a video game classic PC game. I was big on that. And here's the other part, too. I never had to read this, so I kind of know what's going to happen, but I don't. So no spoilies on the 3,000 year old epic Greek poem.

[Billy Rutledge]

No spoiler alert on the.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, this piece of that. That'll be. And that's one of those you got to go see in the big screen kind of deal. That's one of those movies that's worth it. Like Top Gun, Maverick. Yeah, I mean, that's the most fun I've had at the movies in a long time. And I have the feeling the Odyssey will be something similar. All right, just a couple more quick ones. Here's one that I think Will. You're getting married, Billy, right?

[Billy Rutledge]

That's right.

[Nick Roush]

So 72 hours. Kevin Hart is a 40 year old who mistakenly gets added to a bachelor party group text and he crashes the party. How does that sound? Billy, you in? Out.

[Billy Rutledge]

Are you streaming, Kevin? Do you need money that bad? Like, that sounds like a terrible premise of a bad Kevin Hart movie that they'll say at the next Kevin Hart roast. So I think I'm out on that one.

[Nick Roush]

It has a couple SNL guys in the bachelor party, like Marcelo.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay, yeah, I know who that.

[Nick Roush]

So, like, it looks kind of funny, but like, Shannon, they're not going to drag us to the movie theater.

[Shannon]

No, no, no, no. This is one we'll stream if we watch it at all. Like, I may. Like, I want to be looking for it. I'll be scrolling through it. I'll say, oh, yeah, I heard Nick talking about that. I'll give it a try for a few minutes.

[Nick Roush]

And then your wife falls asleep and then you're like, just keep watching this. Or should I switch it off after 10 minutes?

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah.

[Nick Roush]

Okay, here's one that I'm fired up for. Coyote versus Acme. All right, I got to put this on your Wile E. Coyote versus Acme. I got to put this on the KSR world's radar because the Wiley Coyote is suing Acme and Will Forte is his lawyer, and they're filing a class action lawsuit against ACME for all of their props mishaps. Right. Like, it always blows up in his face. Right. So Will Forte is his lawyer and he's going up against Acme. And. And John Cena is the lawyer for acme.

[Billy Rutledge]

Oh, wow.

[Nick Roush]

So it's one of those, like, cartoons with live action people. Yeah, I. I cannot tell you how excited I am for this silly, silly movie. And I'm going to take my kids and I don't Know if they'll get it, but I don't care because it is. It's going to be. It's going to be good, good old fashioned fun.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, it's acceptable when you have the kids. But Shannon, can you be a middle aged man, go into the Wiley Coyote Acme movie? I don't know.

[Shannon]

Not going to the theater, but I'll watch this. And I hope the coyote finally wins. You know, he spent his ent, you know, being the butt end of the joke with that stupid roadrunner. I'm pulling for the Coyote.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, what if that is how the movie is?

[Shannon]

Revenge.

[Nick Roush]

He's got him on his spit over an open flame.

[Billy Rutledge]

Yeah, great.

[Shannon]

He blows up the Roadrunner with a dynamite.

[Billy Rutledge]

Did you hear what he did to the caller the other day with the tickets?

[Nick Roush]

Yes, I did. I did.

[Billy Rutledge]

So sadistic, the maniacal laughing as well.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, my gosh.

[Billy Rutledge]

We have some WWE tickets we're going to give away later this hour, so stay tuned for that. But I enjoyed that. I enjoyed the blockbuster.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, yeah. You know, get out to the movies. It's raining this weekend too, so like, you know, you got to find some indoor activities.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, and they're trying to get you in the theaters with all these different promotions. Right. I mean, they got a bar in all these theaters now so you can get a cocktail. There's some theaters that have like a putt putt golf course. Oh, if you. If that's going to get you in the theaters, you play a little putt putt after the arcade. So they're pulling out all the stops. I just don't know if it'll go back to normal.

[Nick Roush]

Can I admit something?

[Billy Rutledge]

Please.

[Nick Roush]

I don't typically purchase snacks at the snack stand, but I do eat snacks.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, yeah. I mean, that's become commonplace. Has it not to load up the cargo pants with all the.

[Shannon]

You talk about it just at a theater.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, yeah. You bring your own snacks.

[Shannon]

Well, look, Byos, I may or may not have brought an entire steak and shake mule into.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay, how do you get that in.

[Shannon]

Well, you go with somebody that's got a big purse.

[Billy Rutledge]

Oh, the big purse.

[Shannon]

I'm talking fries. And not just fries. Cheesy fries.

[Nick Roush]

Wait, Cheesy fries. That is. That is. I mean, that could be a mess.

[Shannon]

It could be, but it wasn't. Triple steak burger and a milkshake. Wow, that's for two.

[Nick Roush]

I really. Billy, I thought I was going to show my Dixie highway, but Shannon really showed his Mount Washington there.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, I've definitely snuck in some snacks, but Never the.

[Shannon]

That's a snack.

[Billy Rutledge]

It's a.

[Shannon]

That's like, snack.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's like the people going to these baseball stadiums with a bag of spaghetti. Like, what are you doing bringing that in?

[Shannon]

You're allowed to do that. We found out last week DraftKings said that a lot of stadiums will allow you to bring in spaghetti to a major league baseball stadium. I didn't know that was a thing.

[Billy Rutledge]

I just want to see the theater lights come on and Shannon's got steak and shake over two chairs spread out and cheese fries. And they come up to cheese fries.

[Nick Roush]

Is a. That is. That is a bold strategy, Bo Strategy.

[Shannon]

I just, like, slam it into my mouth quickly and just eat it all before they could. Before they could see any of it.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, they can definitely smell that. I guess the security is pretty lax now at theaters.

[Shannon]

They barely got anybody there to take.

[Nick Roush]

They're just glad you're there.

[Shannon]

Exactly, exactly.

[Billy Rutledge]

Exactly. Right.

[Nick Roush]

Well, we're glad you're here. And listen to us just kind of be silly because, hey, summer, starting this week, it's Memorial Day weekend. It's a slow time in sports, but maybe we get to our next break and Billy, we should talk some more sports.

[Billy Rutledge]

You want to give some sports takes?

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, we can give some sports takes.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay. Because I got one. I've got one. I've held in the chamber for a little bit that we can get. And you know, Nick, you don't know what's going to happen next. So we got a couple people on the phone we'll get to as well. 859-280-2287. It's a Friday edition of Kentucky Sports Radio. We'll be right back.

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[Billy Rutledge]

Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio. Billy Rutledge and Nick Roush taking over today as the guys got an early start on Memorial Day weekend. Hopefully you got some plans lined up. We're going to give some sports takes and some topics in this segment.

[Nick Roush]

Wait, wait. But hold up though.

[Billy Rutledge]

What's that?

[Nick Roush]

I think we've got some breaking news.

[Billy Rutledge]

Breaking news.

[Nick Roush]

Breaking news. Must be a day and ends. And why? Because Kentucky football, they just got another commitment. Griff Galloway, an edge in the 2027 recruiting class. Another one has committed to the Cats. Say, okay, he's a three star from Charlotte. Why is this a big deal, Raush? Okay, let me just read some of the teams that we're interested in, please. Yes, Florida. You know coaches there.

[Caller]

I do.

[Nick Roush]

Brad White, John Summerall. Yeah, Kentucky of the South, Notre Dame, they wanted them. Here are the two big ones, though. Clemson, Dabo Swinney, he recruits Charlotte very well.

[Billy Rutledge]

James Franklin, Virginia Tech now.

[Nick Roush]

And here's the thing, guys, if you haven't been paying attention, Will Stein just keeps shoving James Franklin into a walker. I mean, time and time again this off season, James Franklin, he had 10 win seasons regularly at Penn State because he was a great recruiting head coach. So he goes to Virginia Tech. It's his first year. He should be getting this huge bump. Instead, Will stuns like, dude, no, you're not getting any of the players I want. For example, Tristan Hughes, four star safety from Cleveland, he's like, you know what? I'm going to announce my commitment on this date. There's some picks that are coming in for him to go to Virginia Tech. Date comes, he doesn't commit to Virginia Tech. You know what he does? He visits Kentucky for spring practice. Two weeks later, he's at the spring game, commits to Kentucky.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, Will Stein has it. You can define it as whatever. You know, each person might have a different definition of it, but he seems to certainly have it. You know what I mean, Nick? Oh, is it because he's recruiting off of his success at Oregon? And it might be even tougher to recruit if he were to not have success at Kentucky. Do you think that's it?

[Nick Roush]

Some of it is first year coach hype, right? Like you're a new guy, you have a fun offense, you're young, you're relatable. Like that's just naturally how he is. The other part is he hires coaches who know how to recruit. So Joe Price called him east side Joe when he was Working down in Texas. He didn't go to Texas. He went to Richmond. He went to James Franklin's backyard and got Ivy and Lewis. You should be your Virginia Tech. You don't let the best receiver in your state who's in Richmond go to Kentucky. But Joe Price, Joe Sloan, Wilson, they got it done. And then today, to be able to get Griff Galloway. Here's the other fun thing about this recruiting win, Billy.

[Billy Rutledge]

What's that, Nick?

[Nick Roush]

I'm going to look up the Clemson football staff directory. Who do we have here? Senior offensive assistant Lonnie Galloway, father of Griff Galloway.

[Billy Rutledge]

No.

[Nick Roush]

Not going to Clemson.

[Billy Rutledge]

What?

[Nick Roush]

This kid's dad works for Dabo at Clemson. He said, no, no, no. I don't want to play for that dork. I want to go feed the studs with Will Stein and Jay Bateman at Kentucky. I mean, these guys are freaking crushing it, man. This is awesome.

[Billy Rutledge]

Like, DJ Wagner going to Kentucky and not Louisville. But, like, how do you have dinner with dad after that? Do you think he understands? Because I don't. Like, I'd be pretty pissed off at my son if he decided to do that.

[Nick Roush]

Here's the other thing, too, Billy. This one was off my radar. I was not. I was like, I don't. Jay Bateman's cooking something. We knew he had some recruiting chops, but he played. This one went under the radar. And Pune pum pum pum. Another commitment. Kentucky's up to 18 now. They could add a 19th tomorrow because Mason Ball, the running back from Arkansas, he's announcing his decision sometime Saturday afternoon. It's between Arkansas, North Carolina, Vanderbilt and Kentucky. The Cats are the favorites. UK running backs coach Colby Smith recruited him there. Kentucky could get two running backs in a matter of 72 hours.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, I love all the recruits coming in. I love the passion in your voice, Nick. You're obviously on board with everything that's going on and are excited for the season ahead. Can I give you a take that I'm passionate about here?

[Nick Roush]

Hit me.

[Billy Rutledge]

When it comes to sports, we're kind of in limbo right now for the Kentucky baseball team. They are ranked 37th in the RPI after finishing 31 and 21 this year, 13 and 17 in league play. But I don't believe they deserve to be in the NCAA tournament this year because of that game that they canceled versus nku. Now, you might get mad at me, but interesting. I thought that was the softest thing that I've ever seen when it comes to sports here at Kentucky in a while. I Understand that there was some rain delays. You were tired because the series versus Florida went long. And I understand that there's not a lot to gain if you beat nku. There's a lot to lose, but there's not a lot to gain. But, Shannon, I thought it was the weakest thing I'd seen in a while. And I don't think UK deserves to be in the NCAA Tournament. If you're taking teams off your schedule so you can preserve your rankings before the NCAA Tournament, you can't start the

[Shannon]

expectation of, okay, if you don't feel like playing a game, we'll just mutually decide not to play the game. I don't know that I'm gonna say that that's the reason they don't belong in the tournament. I'd say if you're gonna make the case for them not belonging in the tournament, maybe look at their win total in the sec. No, I'm not.

[Billy Rutledge]

Thirteen's a magic number where a lot of teams go into the NCAA Tournament. I'm saying you're holding them out.

[Shannon]

You're holding them out just because they didn't play.

[Billy Rutledge]

That correct?

[Shannon]

That correct.

[Nick Roush]

Okay.

[Billy Rutledge]

Just that one instance is the reason why I am completely out on them making the NCAA Tournament.

[Nick Roush]

Here's the thing, though. I am kind of with you, Billy. I think that's just one part of it. That's not the whole reason. The whole reason is they have five one run losses in SEC play. You had. The part that aggravates me is it's like I get Nick Mingion's passionate plea. And I understand that 13 is kind of a magic number when it comes to RPIs and all this. You could have just won more games, but you kept blowing up. Your bullpen would blow up, or you'd make stupid errors or whatever it may be. This team had so many opportunities in the regular season that I can't. I can't cry. Alligator tears or crocodile tears. Excuse me. Whenever. If they get left out on Selection Monday.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, if you're scared, go to church. Who do we hear that from? I mean, that's the mindset I want to have. I don't want to say, oh, we could lose this game. It could really impact our rpi. That's a mindset that doesn't belong in the NCAA Tournament. And I love those guys. Like, this was to go to make it four straight NCAA Tournaments. That is a great feat for Nick Manchester.

[Nick Roush]

And you know what? They still could, but other teams are still playing. And that's the part where they're just kind of sitting sweating it out until Monday. And yeah, it's going to be a long swell, long sweat for the back cats. It just, it just sucks because we entered the season with expectations, which very rarely happens with Kentucky baseball.

[Shannon]

But I.

[Nick Roush]

Your tower bell should have some good hitting. Jackson Jelkin has clearly been awesome, but the pitching hasn't really been there. I mean it was five or six weeks in a row where they would go into Sunday with a chance to win a series and they would lose

[Billy Rutledge]

and really struggled on Sundays.

[Nick Roush]

And we know how we treat baseball here in big Blue Nation. It's one of those things that if they're good, we will, we will really rally behind them. But if not, it's kind of just like another thing. And I think people really wanted to get excited about this season but they just couldn't, it couldn't put it together and it's so just frustrating. And you know what, if they get in, maybe they can go on a run. I just worry because the pitching, like you have to be able to stack up some, some stops.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, if they don't, I think a lot of people are going to point to maybe what they did versus NKU

[Nick Roush]

there they're mad at. Were they really scared of the North?

[Billy Rutledge]

I don't know. I don't know. The North Force, they were too tired, I guess. Shannon, tell me about one of our sponsors here before.

[Shannon]

Yeah. Barbecue season is about to kick off and you know one of our favorites at KSR is Red State Barbecue. Their sauces are showing up all over the place in Kroger Liquor Bar and Publix Meyer. Even jungle gyms up in Cincinnati and the Kentucky Small batch and BlackBerry smoke are outstanding. I love them. And if you need to try them, if you haven't tried them for yourself. And here's the big news. Later this month they're releasing a limited edition 1776 Independence Blend. A salute to 250 years of American fire, flavor and freedom. So grab a bottle of Red State Barbecue sauce and keep an eye out for that new release from red State Barbecue.

[Billy Rutledge]

859-280-2287. We're going to take some calls in the next segment, maybe give away some tickets and then we're going to be giving away some WWE tickets. I mean Smackdown Smackdown was very convincing on the pre show. Shannon, I know you loved that interview, but we got tickets because we did the interview and, and we will give those away probably in the last segment, but we'll take some calls in the next one, 859-280-2287. Having a good time with you, Nick. Sad it's almost over. We only got two seconds.

[Nick Roush]

Tom Fosman. You're having fun, Billiam.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's right. Well, hopefully we can do more of this more often.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

All right, we'll take a break. Be right back. Billy Rutledge and Nick Roush.

[iHeart Advertising Host]

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[Orderly Meds Advertiser]

Call tj.

[Billy Rutledge]

He'll make him pay.

[Shannon]

Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones.

[Billy Rutledge]

See, this is the music Shannon can't play on qmf.

[Shannon]

No, no, you gotta save this. Kick me off the show. I kick myself off if I played this on QMF.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, this is a banger, though, Shannon. Well, early 90s Mariah.

[Shannon]

It's pop rock. It's Mariah Carey.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's because Roush was admitting to us his love for Mariah Carey during.

[Nick Roush]

It's a great summer song on the

[Shannon]

treadmill to this song.

[Nick Roush]

Not on the treadmill, but this was on my. I, I did the, I did the mini marathon for the first time in Louisville. 13 miles. No big deal, you know, 13.1.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, don't say that around Shannon. He'll tell you about how many he wants.

[Nick Roush]

But I had, I had two times, three music to get me through the last three miles. And this was, this was a part of it because it just, I don't know, it makes me happy, puts a smile on my face.

[Billy Rutledge]

I can get behind a little Mariah Carey. I don't know if this one was on my ipod, but she's got some bangers. There's no doubt. Before we get to the phone, school's almost out. But the deals are just getting started at Don Franklin.

[Nick Roush]

Heck yeah, they are.

[Billy Rutledge]

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[Nick Roush]

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[Nick Roush]

Who knows?

[Billy Rutledge]

I'm ready to hear from takes so let's get to the phones. Shannon, who's up first?

[Shannon]

Don. Hey, Don.

[Billy Rutledge]

What's going on, Don?

[Caller]

Hey. Don't know.

[Shannon]

You're done.

[Caller]

That's good.

[Shannon]

You just said hello to yourself long time. Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

I'll ring the bell for you here.

[Caller]

All right. There you go. Thank you. Hey, no, I'm calling about these sitcoms. Rules of Engagement is one of the best out there in my lifetime.

[Nick Roush]

Okay. David Spade.

[Caller]

Yep. Patrick Warburton. Megan Price.

[Nick Roush]

Okay, I, I, I dabbled with a little bit of that. I liked Patrick Warburton. Great voice actor. Great voice.

[Caller]

Absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah, I think eight or ten seasons, maybe. Nothing so nice. Pretty good. Pretty good.

[Billy Rutledge]

All right. I'll add that one to my list. Anything else?

[Caller]

No, nothing. Well, I'm looking, I am looking forward to this football season. This is the first time I've ever bought season tickets.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, okay.

[Billy Rutledge]

Welcome to the club there.

[Caller]

Yeah, I'm really excited about it.

[Nick Roush]

Well, we're fired up to see a Kroger field this fall. It, it's going to look nice too. They're, they're, they're, they're cleaning it up some. Going to get ready for a loaded, loaded home slate. Starts with the Penguins of Youngstown State, but then Alabama's coming into town. A lot of great games that were fired up and Glad you're going to be there watching with us.

[Caller]

Oh, absolutely. Down and Louisville. I'll be there for at least two games. I know for sure.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, Don, thank you. Appreciate the call. That's the one bad part about my job is I'm stuck in the studio running the football games, Nick. So I don't even get to go out there at Kroger Field and get the environment.

[Nick Roush]

I wanted to ask you your favorite game you've been to, but that felt kind of mean because. Yeah, you can't. You're in this beautiful scenic studio.

[Shannon]

Yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

For 10 hours at a time. So it is, it does pay the bills. But I do miss going to some games. Who's up next, dude?

[Shannon]

Joe.

[Billy Rutledge]

What's up, Joe?

[Caller]

Oh, thank you. Gentlemen, quickly, go back cast. I think their best baseball is ahead of them. I just, hopefully they'll get a chance to go to the tournament. I know it's 50. 50. We'll hope for the best. Quickly. Is your bachelor party about the same time Mr. Barnhart going to have his retirement party? Billy?

[Billy Rutledge]

You know, I'm not sure, I'm not sure when he is leaving the university officially, but I am going. I think it's Juneteenth weekend. We're going to Chicago.

[Nick Roush]

There you go.

[Caller]

Well, out here on Dixie highway, we like to have a dual party if we can. You know, two. Two's better than one. So if you're. A bachelor party coincides with Mr. Barnhart's retirement party. Oh, my God. You talk about a celebration either at Roosters or Brian's Tavern. We're, we're gonna have one, believe me. So, Billy, we love you. Good. Congratulations on your engagement. And Mr. Barnhart, we love you. Yeah, we love you. Thanks a lot. Goodbye.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay. Thank you, Joe. I appreciate the call.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, man, I. Joe's. That's really my wheelhouse. Roosters. O'. Brien's.

[Billy Rutledge]

I thought you were talking about Mitch Barnhart.

[Nick Roush]

But I will say I, I, I know that when a school says they're going to hire a search firm, it's easy to be like, oh, because you can't, can't figure it out yourself. The reason why a lot of schools hire search firms, which Kentucky is doing to find its next athletic director, the reason they do it in coaching searches, is because it allows them to tamper with people who have their jobs. Right. So, like, you hire a third party so that technically they don't violate their contract. Exactly, Exactly. I don't know if that's the case for admins. I hope that's the case for admins. The part that's frustrating of this is that Mitch is done on June 30th. He announced his retirement on, like, March 1st, and they're just now hiring the search firm. What? It took you three months to figure out what you're, you knew you were going to hire somebody. You couldn't get the search firm going. I'm just worried that they are. We're going to get to June 30th and we're still going to be like, okay, guys, so who, who's it going to be?

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, they had a listening tour, and I think that took up a lot of time.

[Nick Roush]

A lot of us on the listening tour.

[Billy Rutledge]

I also want to do give some praise to Mitch Barnhart. I think he is leaving at the right time, and sometimes that's hard to recognize. Maybe overstended his welcome a little bit too long. But for what, two decades, he has really brought Kentucky athletics very far. But I kind of liken it to Mark Stoops and how he adjusted his buyout clause to allow Kentucky to pay him over several years instead of what the original contract was, which was a terrible contract by Mitch Barnhart, in which it was all due within 30 days of the termination that went a long way to seeing the off season of Will Stein that we are seeing now, Nick. So I do give him credit for that.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, it did just take the governor and a lot of people to question that sweetheart deal for it to happen, but at least it happened.

[Billy Rutledge]

Sweetheart deal.

[Shannon]

I didn't.

[Billy Rutledge]

I didn't say anything about eating hay and rocking chairs or anything like that. We got a couple more people on the line. I think Zach is up.

[Nick Roush]

What's up, Zach?

[Billy Rutledge]

What's up, Zach?

[Caller]

Hey, Shannon. Hey, Nick. Hey, you're doing a great job today. Hey, Billy. Talking about Kentucky baseball being weak for not playing nku. Man, that still wasn't as weak as that Tiffany Stratton interview you did this morning.

[Nick Roush]

Wow. Boom. Roasted.

[Caller]

And what? And. And what is. What is it like being the weakest link in the KSI, KSR universe?

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, you almost got it right. It's ksr, not KSI. But, Zach, I appreciate you calling in when I host the biggest radio show in the state of Kentucky to tell me that my interview was poor. I've got tickets to give away. You're not getting them, Zach.

[Shannon]

Unfortunately, Zach already hung up, dropped the mic. I don't know.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, it was pretty good. But you know what? That was a nice punch back. Billy, they're not going to knock you down. You're gonna stay on your feet.

[Billy Rutledge]

Caller's coming after me lately. That one yesterday. I don't know if that was Zach and he just wanted to call again.

[Nick Roush]

Just change his name.

[Billy Rutledge]

My God, you are the weakest. Sleep. Goodbye. Howard is up next. Let's take Howard, and then we can get into some other things. What's up, Howard?

[Caller]

Hey, a question for Nick and one for Billy. Nick. So with Wilson's big recruiting class in 2027, do you think we're going to have enough money to hit the transfer portal that year? And, Billy, how do I get them Smackdown tickets? Your interview this morning was the best.

[Billy Rutledge]

Well, see,

[Nick Roush]

we will take you places.

[Billy Rutledge]

It's got the tickets. I mean, I'm the one deciding here, so that's a good way to do it.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, maybe stay on hold and Billy, he'll just pass them off to you.

[Billy Rutledge]

You know what? You're going to be one of our contestants for the tickets. Just for that hour. How about that? So you stay on hold, Shannon, if you want to block the lines.

[Shannon]

You want to get Howard some chapstick?

[Billy Rutledge]

Oh, please. This is what happens when you're nice to the host. I mean, Zach, if. Even if Zach calls back in, we ain't Going to give him the tickets. But, Nick, what do you think about the.

[Nick Roush]

So this is a fair question. And I know that there is one certain grown man out there who likes to say they're overpaying. Here's the reality is there's a new coach bump that comes with the territory, right?

[Shannon]

Sure.

[Nick Roush]

Like, there's a lot of excitement that generates it. What Stan accomplished, his resume, that has a lot to do with it. But mostly these guys are just really diligent recruiters day to day. And the other part, you listen to Will sun talk. He comes on here, he does interviews. He is very relatable as a human. He sounds like a guy that will sit next to you at Kroger Field and be like, dude, they just got to score some fricking points, man. Like, you know, there. There's a relatability to him that really connects with fans, with recruits. So, like, it may look like that. Kentucky spending a lot to get recruits right now, that's not really the case. They're going to make sure that there's plenty of money in the banana stand where they can be aggressive in the transfer portal to go get some guaranteed starters to fill some holes on the roster for the 27 season. So I'm not sweating it. You know, there's a lot of time between now and signing day. They're going to get more players. The deck's going to get shuffled around quite a bit. But I don't think you have to worry about from a financial standpoint if. If Kentucky's going to have the money to be big game hunting ahead of sign second season when the transfer portal opens in December.

[Billy Rutledge]

Your second Arrested Development reference there.

[Nick Roush]

So I appreciate the money in the banana stand.

[Billy Rutledge]

It's just.

[Nick Roush]

It's good. Go to. Have you ever had a frozen banana like the. That the blues would sell?

[SpinQuest Advertiser]

No.

[Nick Roush]

It's just awful. Horrendous. Terrible summer dessert. If I had to. The best summer dessert, just watermelon. It's not really a dessert, but like a hot day, you get a watermelon.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay. Now let me ask you something. Do you put salt on your watermelon?

[Nick Roush]

No, I've had it, but no.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay. I am in your camp, but there are people that are going to be texting and calling in now and saying that we don't know watermelon. If you don't put salt, I just.

[Shannon]

You do.

[Billy Rutledge]

There it is.

[Shannon]

We'll put salt on it.

[Nick Roush]

I actually prefer it to be in the little scoops, too, Billy.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay.

[Nick Roush]

You know, like, not. Not necessarily the Slice.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's not as fun, right?

[Nick Roush]

You don't like the little scoops?

[Billy Rutledge]

No, I like. It's like a piece of pizza. You got to get a little messy. You have a little watermelon. The ice cream truck is undefeated though. Around summertime. I don't even. Do they even still do ice cream trucks?

[Nick Roush]

Oh, they do, they do. Oh, yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

You get a rocket pop or, you know, spongebob with its gumball eyes.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, but see, I'm, I'm more of an ice cream stand guy. Give me the dipped cone. You know, you dip the cone down and you get the chocolate all over the dip. Oh, it's so good.

[Billy Rutledge]

I get behind that.

[Nick Roush]

All right, we got some tickets to give away.

[Billy Rutledge]

We do. That's right. Call in 859-280-2287 if you'd like to go to WWE Friday night smackdown tonight at 7:30pm at Rupp Arena. We have two tickets to give away. And Nick, you've come up with a game here of how, how are we going to do it with the callers?

[Nick Roush]

Well, I have some of my favorite wrestlers. I want to know some of our callers favorite wrestlers. Is it a good choice? Is it a bad choice? I get to be the judge and jury to decide. You make your case. Can we do a 10 second timer for them to make their case?

[Billy Rutledge]

Shannon would love that.

[Nick Roush]

Shannon loves a 10 second timer.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay, so we'll get the buzzer out.

[Nick Roush]

You make your. Yeah, make your case for your best wrestler. The best promo before the buzzer sounds is getting two tickets to smackdown.

[Billy Rutledge]

859-280-2287. We'll do that in our final segment here on Kentucky sports radio.

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[Billy Rutledge]

U-T.com Spinquest is a free to play social casino void where prohibited. Visit spinquest.com for more details.

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[Billy Rutledge]

It is finally Friday. We got the Memorial Day weekend ahead of us. Billy Rutledge and Nick Roush had a lot of fun today, and we still got some tickets to give away. But before we do that, Shannon, tell us about one of our sponsors here

[Shannon]

on the Draft King sports book. The NBA playoffs, of course, are here, and you can bet on all the action with DraftKings. If you're a new customer, sign up with the promo code KSR. When you do that, you bet $5. You're gonna get a hundred dollars in bonus bets instantly. They've also got daily boost for all customers on DraftKings. But for new ones, sign up with promo code KSR. Quickly. Let's pick the games tonight. You got the Thunder and the Spurs. It's one to one. Who do you got, Nick?

[Nick Roush]

I think the spurs come home and get it done, particularly with Jalen Williams having an iffy hamstring. So give me lo. Spurs.

[Billy Rutledge]

Billy, I'm going Thunder. Shay's flopping again and I think he's going to get the calls. So give me Thunder on the road tonight.

[Shannon]

I'll take the spurs tomorrow. You got the Knicks up two games to nothing over playing the Cavs. Do they go up three? Oh, Nick.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah. The Cavs had their chance when they blew that lead in game one. I think they're cooked. They'll win game four and it'll be a gentleman sweeping five.

[Billy Rutledge]

The NBA script. The Cavs got to win at home.

[Caller]

We.

[Billy Rutledge]

We'll get some. We'll get a game seven in Madison Square Garden. So Cavs winning.

[Shannon]

Yeah, I think I'm taking the Cavs in this one, too. If you have a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER18 plus Kentucky only eligibility restrictions apply. Bonus bets expire seven days after issuance for additional terms or responsible gaming resources. CDK India co/audio limited time offer.

[Billy Rutledge]

Now. Thank you to Tiffany Stratton, who joined me for the ksl.

[Nick Roush]

Great interview on the pre show. Great interview.

[Billy Rutledge]

I wouldn't say it's weak at all. I'd say.

[Shannon]

What she call herself the Barbie. What the.

[Billy Rutledge]

The buff Barbie doll.

[Shannon]

Barbie doll. There you go.

[Billy Rutledge]

And you can see her tonight at wwe Friday night Smackdown. We're going to give away two tickets during this game. I let Howard stay on the line, so that's my contribution to this. But, Nick, I want you to decide the winner of this.

[Nick Roush]

Okay?

[Billy Rutledge]

So we're going to go through the list of callers. They're Going to give us their favorite WRESTLER and why.

[Nick Roush]

10 seconds on the clock.

[Billy Rutledge]

Shannon's got the buzzer ready to go, so here we go. Let's start it off. Tanner looks to be our first caller. Go ahead, Tanner.

[Caller]

Favorite wrestler, Danhausen, because he's awesome.

[Nick Roush]

Is he okay?

[Billy Rutledge]

All right.

[Nick Roush]

All right. I need a little more zest. Tanner, that was in close to 10 seconds. You're trying to get tickets to Smackdown. I need to hear some passion, some fire from the callers. Who do we got next?

[Billy Rutledge]

Billy Jason is up next. Jason, go.

[Caller]

It's the legendary Jimmy Hart, baby. He had his pulse on the industry for years and years and years. He wrote songs for Demigod. Listen. He wrote songs for the Honky Tonk Man. He was right there with the legendary Hulk Hogan. He was on everything.

[Nick Roush]

Right? Okay, okay. That was. That was a little bit closer.

[Billy Rutledge]

And he got a little after the

[Shannon]

buzzer, but he's not a wrestler. Does that count? He's a personality. I guess he did. He probably did have one or two matches over the years.

[Nick Roush]

I bet he took a bump or two.

[Shannon]

Oh, yeah. He took some bumps for sure.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay, so Jason with Jimmy Hart. Looks like Tessa is up next. Tessa, go.

[Caller]

My favorite wrestler is the OG Thing. Black with. With colorful makeup and the blonde hair, not the black and white thing. He was my favorite growing up. I used to try to do the Scorpion death drop on my brother.

[Nick Roush]

Okay.

[Radio Advertising Host]

I like that at the end.

[Nick Roush]

I do, too. Because I can just imagine the little sister wanting to do the scorpion death drop on the big brother, like on the trampoline or off the couch or something like that. That. That makes me happy. That makes me smile. So, Tessa. Okay, all right. That was a good answer.

[Billy Rutledge]

Howard is up next. Howard, what do you got?

[Caller]

The styling, profiling, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss stealing, wheeling and dealing. Son of a gun, Ric Flair, man.

[Nick Roush]

He did it in 10 seconds too. Right on the money.

[Billy Rutledge]

It has to be factored in. I think that was.

[Nick Roush]

That was impressive.

[Billy Rutledge]

Howard, Brandon is up next. Brandon, what do you got?

[Caller]

Oh, hell yeah. Because who doesn't want to beat the crap out of their boss?

[Shannon]

I think I had to deduct points because Stone Cold was on his Bluetooth.

[Caller]

Yeah,

[Shannon]

it was Bluetooth speaker.

[Nick Roush]

Oh, man, I thought I was hearing Stone Cold ET Which.

[Shannon]

You ever seen Stone Cold ET Go up and order a couple of sliders. You're missing out.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah. All time YouTube video. Do we. Do we have any more?

[Billy Rutledge]

I think that's it. Yeah. So we've had Tanner. That was Dan Housen he already hung up because he.

[Nick Roush]

Yeah, I think he knew that he wasn't going to get those.

[Billy Rutledge]

Writing was on the wall there. Jason. Who? Jimmy Hart was his favorite.

[Caller]

I.

[Nick Roush]

And as much as I want to give Tessa credit for scorpion stinging her younger brothers, I do think we got to give it up to Howard for really narrow nailing the Ric Flair promo there. Howard, you're going to smackdown.

[Billy Rutledge]

See what happens when you compliment Billy. Our sports.

[Nick Roush]

Exactly.

[Caller]

You.

[Nick Roush]

You walk your way into some tickets. And Howard did it today here on Kentucky Sports Radio.

[Billy Rutledge]

Congratulations, Howard.

[Nick Roush]

Well done. Have fun tonight at smackdown. Howard, we appreciate it.

[Shannon]

Taking Billy. You should take Billy since you like it so much.

[Billy Rutledge]

Hang on, Howard.

[Shannon]

Hang on.

[Nick Roush]

All right, Billy. Tuesday, Matt Myron are going to be back on the show.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's right. Yeah.

[Nick Roush]

Will we know if Malachi Moreno is back at Kentucky when Matt gets on

[Billy Rutledge]

the air at 10am well, Wednesday at midnight's the deadline. Like going into Thursday.

[Nick Roush]

Correct?

[Billy Rutledge]

I don't think we were going to know.

[Nick Roush]

Interesting.

[Billy Rutledge]

I think it'll be the last day until.

[Nick Roush]

He's gonna wait till the last.

[Billy Rutledge]

I think so. I think this is all about leverage, and Moreno has all the leverage right now in this situation.

[Nick Roush]

And I think Kentucky will ultimately cave and they will give him not a hometown discount, but they will pay him handsomely on Monday. And that will help Moreno recruit some people back. I know that some people are like, how good can Moreno be? Did you see the steps he's taken each offseason from his junior to senior year? Great. Crossing completely different player senior year to freshman year. We thought he could be pretty good at Kentucky. We didn't think he'd be starting in the sec. Malachi Moreno is going to come back to Kentucky. He's going to be a stud. And we're going to be fired up. Matt Myron are going to be talking about it on Tuesday.

[Billy Rutledge]

Okay. I love that optimism. And perfect. As we go into the Memorial Day weekend because they need a right. This roster looks very different if Moreno's not coming back. And maybe we hit the panic button.

[Nick Roush]

I don't want to hit any panic buttons. It's Memorial Day weekend.

[Billy Rutledge]

That's right.

[Nick Roush]

We're here to have a good time. We're here to kick off summer the right way. We keep getting good football recruiting news. We're about to get in the dog days of summer. Talking football. Let's get this Kentucky basketball roster set. Let's get it locked and loaded because Jan Moreno and you get Mom Chillovich. Then the dark days of April and May they don't seem so dark at all. They seem. Seems like Kentucky could have a contender if they're able to get both of those guys in the big blue boat.

[Billy Rutledge]

We just got about 30 seconds left. Nick, I really appreciate you joining me here. A lot of fun Kentucky Sports Radio. Yeah, man. Hopefully we can do it again more often.

[Nick Roush]

I'd certainly like to do it and I would like to send us off with a nice message to remind people. While we celebrate Memorial Day, let's reflect on the many lives lost in the line of duty. Protect our nation and the once who bore those loss. We thank you so much for listening. This has been Kentucky Sports Radio. He's Billy our Sports I'm Nick Roush.

[Billy Rutledge]

Amen.

[Nick Roush]

Matt and Myron back on Tuesday.

[Billy Rutledge]

Have a great weekend.

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[Billy Rutledge]

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