5-23-25 KSR Hour 1

Summary

Podcast Summary: KSR Hour 1 – May 23, 2025

Introduction

On May 23, 2025, the Kentucky Sports Radio (KSR) team, hosted by Matt Jones alongside Ryan Lemond, Drew Franklin, and Shannon the Dude, broadcasted live from the heart of Pineville, Kentucky. Situated under the iconic Chain Rock during the vibrant Mountain Laurel Festival, the crew delivered engaging discussions on local events, sports insights, and community highlights.

Mountain Laurel Festival Coverage

The episode opened with Matt Jones expressing nostalgia and pride as he returned to his hometown, Pineville. The KSR crew delved into the festivities of the Mountain Laurel Festival, one of Kentucky’s oldest events, which spanned from May through Sunday.

Matt Jones [05:05]: "It has been called America's best outdoor beauty pageant."

Drew Franklin highlighted the significance of the beauty pageant, mentioning the recent coronation of local high school and college queens.

Drew Franklin [05:14]: "They crowned the princess tonight. The high school princess tonight. Then the college queen will be tomorrow."

The team reminisced about the historical presence of the governor at the festival, emphasizing its importance to the community.

Ryan Lemond [05:35]: "Most festivals have a pageant one night and it's just part of a bigger event. This pageant has a festival; it's all about the pageant here."

Sports Insights: Interview with Mark Pope

A significant portion of the discussion centered around Mark Pope’s recent interview with KSR. The team dissected Pope’s candid remarks about recruiting challenges and player departures.

Matt Jones [09:14]: "Mark Pope zoomed player X, and then that player five days later would commit somewhere else."

They elaborated on the complexities of recruiting players from the portal, citing examples like Silas Demery and Travis Perry’s departure.

Drew Franklin [12:03]: "Mark Pope being sincere, that it devastated him that a player that he really liked was going to leave the program."

The conversation also touched upon Pope’s strategic aspirations for scheduling tougher games against prestigious teams if the regular season expanded.

Matt Jones [13:08]: "We'll go play home and home with UConn. We'll go play home and home with Kansas."

Shea Gilgis Alexander: Kentucky’s First NBA MVP

The team celebrated a historic achievement for the University of Kentucky as Shea Gilgis Alexander was named the first UK alumnus to win the NBA MVP award.

Matt Jones [20:59]: "Shea Gilgis Alexander... the first to be The MVP of the NBA."

They reflected on Alexander’s remarkable journey from being overlooked in high school to becoming an MVP, highlighting his impact on both his team and the broader sports community.

Shannon the Dude [21:54]: "He’s become one of those guys that frustrates the defense to where they end up making fouls."

The discussion extended to Alexander’s early career, including his trade from the Clippers and his pivotal role in his current team's success.

Matt Jones [22:15]: "He's one of the few MVPs to win their MVP award with a different team first than drafted."

Kentucky's Scenic Beauty: Top Views Highlighted

Shifting gears, the crew passionately discussed the most picturesque spots in Kentucky, sharing personal favorites and recommendations for visitors.

Matt Jones [17:42]: "One of them is up there at the Pine Mountain Lodge, I think the Pinnacle in Cumberland Gap."

Drew Franklin and Ryan Lemond added to the list with mentions of Lake Cumberland, Cumberland Falls, and Red River Gorge, appreciating the state’s natural splendor.

Drew Franklin [19:03]: "I would put Lake Cumberland there and Cumberland Falls."

High School Activities: Wrestling and Pickleball

The conversation moved to local high school sports, celebrating the recent establishment of wrestling teams in Pineville and the potential introduction of pickleball as a high school sport.

Shannon the Dude [32:17]: "The high school pickleball is going to be a four in the spring."

The team humorously debated the feasibility and appeal of pickleball among high schoolers, reflecting on Kentucky’s evolving sports landscape.

High School Track Championship Controversy

A notable segment addressed a controversy from the Class A Regional 1 Track Championship, where timing equipment malfunctioned during preliminaries, prompting officials to require a rerun of all races.

Matt Jones [39:37]: "They are making everybody come back. Good decision, bad decision."

The KSR crew weighed in with mixed opinions, balancing fairness with the logistical challenges faced by the athletes and organizers.

Shannon the Dude [39:54]: "I think we got to run it back to make sure it's legit."

Listener Interaction and Community Stories

Engaging with the audience, Matt Jones interacted with local attendees, including a young fan named Chase, showcasing community involvement and the festival’s family-friendly atmosphere.

Matt Jones [15:30]: "Shane, look at that mustache. You couldn't grow that mustache right now. It's that Pineville and Barberville and Pineville."

The team also shared humorous anecdotes about past high school experiences, emphasizing the show’s relatable and down-to-earth nature.

Conclusion

As the episode concluded, Matt Jones and the KSR crew reflected on the vibrant community spirit of Pineville during the Mountain Laurel Festival. They celebrated local achievements, shared heartfelt stories, and provided insightful sports commentary, embodying the essence of Kentucky Sports Radio.

Matt Jones [44:55]: "We’re hosting the Cubs for a three-game series. It's a big series for us against the Cubs."

The live broadcast encapsulated the blend of sports passion, community pride, and local charm that defines KSR, leaving listeners informed and entertained.

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Matt Jones [05:05]: "It has been called America's best outdoor beauty pageant."
• Drew Franklin [05:14]: "They crowned the princess tonight. The high school princess tonight. Then the college queen will be tomorrow."
• Ryan Lemond [05:35]: "Most festivals have a pageant one night and it's just part of a bigger event. This pageant has a festival; it's all about the pageant here."
• Matt Jones [09:14]: "Mark Pope zoomed player X, and then that player five days later would commit somewhere else."
• Drew Franklin [12:03]: "Mark Pope being sincere, that it devastated him that a player that he really liked was going to leave the program."
• Shannon the Dude [21:54]: "He’s become one of those guys that frustrates the defense to where they end up making fouls."
• Matt Jones [22:15]: "He's one of the few MVPs to win their MVP award with a different team first than drafted."
• Shannon the Dude [32:17]: "The high school pickleball is going to be a four in the spring."
• Shannon the Dude [39:54]: "I think we got to run it back to make sure it's legit."

Transcript

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[Matt Jones]

Comedy Up Broadway in Lexington welcomes Ginger.

[Drew Franklin]

Billy May 9th through the 11th.

[Shannon the Dude]

Then from wide famous catch Jay Pharoah May 16th and 17th and don't miss.

[Drew Franklin]

Rocky Dale Davis May 23rd and 24th.

[Matt Jones]

Comedy Off Broadway opened in downtown Lexington.

[Drew Franklin]

In 1987 and they're still bringing the best in stand up comedy to the.

[Matt Jones]

Area 38 years later.

[Drew Franklin]

Call 859-271-Joke or visit comedyoff broadway.com.

[Shannon the Dude]

This is Kentucky Sports Radio presented by Stockton Mortgage. Now here's Matt Jones.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome everyone. It is Kentucky Sports Radio. Friday, May 23rd. I met Jones here under the shadow of Chain Rock in downtown Pineville, Kentucky for the Mountain Laurel Festival. Matt Jones, Ryan Linman, Drew Franklin and Shannon the Dude. It is what Friday, May 23rd and a beautiful day here in southeastern Kentucky. You can give us a shout out to the Clark's Puppet Shop phone line 859-280-2287. A Vision Auto Glass text machine is 772-774-5254 in this edition sponsored by the TJ Smith Law Office. If you call TJ he'll make them pay. Ryan we are in Bell county which is where I grew up in the county seat of Pineville where just two buildings down I once practice law at the Jones and Bruce law firm that is now host a subway sign. They really but before that it was quite a law firm and we're glad to be here I think. Russ I think this is Our first show in Pineville. I've done a number of them in Middlesboro, but I don't think I've ever done a show in Pineville. First one today.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, it's kind of fun to watch you walk around, you got a little pep in your step, you're back home, you're shaking hands with people you haven't seen in a long time. And when you told me your law office was right there.

[Matt Jones]

Right there.

[Drew Franklin]

Was that the claw?

[Matt Jones]

Well, the claw was more of a mar. This was. This was Jones and Bruce. Yeah, me and Johnny Bruce right there. And we had two affiliates. We had one affiliate, like most big law firms. We had an office in Louisville and one in Pineville. Those were the two affiliates. And, yes, we did here for two years. This courthouse right here is where my mom practiced law for when I was growing up. I don't know what they use it for now, but right here in the center town. This is Drew, one of the nicer little town squares I think we see in Kentucky.

[Ryan Lemond]

Oh, absolutely. We got here very early. I've been here at least an hour walking around, and I was telling Ryan and the guys, it kind of feels like a movie set. It's just a place where it's all in one spot. You got.

[Matt Jones]

You got a little mayor. Where's the mayor?

[Drew Franklin]

I met him while ago.

[Matt Jones]

All right, well, vote him out.

[Drew Franklin]

But if he.

[Matt Jones]

When he comes. I'm just kidding. Now, you all should be trying to get movie. This does look like a movie set in some ways. You can get a Lifetime movie here by the mountains. They do them all in La Grange. There's no reason they can't come down here.

[Shannon the Dude]

Show it right here at this theater right here behind us.

[Matt Jones]

I mean, it's beautiful the way the mountains. Absolutely. The way they surround it. Now, last night, I have to ask you, Shannon, I drove down here during the day to Pine Mountain State Resort park. And it's. It's a beautiful view up there. I hadn't been there in years. I used to go there a lot when I was a kid. But as I was making those last five miles up the hills, I was thinking, you know, when it's dark, this is going to be quite a drive. And, Shannon, you've never made it. Right. You made it last night. Did you drive off the mountain?

[Shannon the Dude]

I did not. I came close a couple of times. You're right, though. Some very windy roads. If you're not familiar, you got to really pay attention. Buckle up. Put your phone down. But, yeah, it was a good drive. Here last night and had a nice day at the Pond Mountain Resort.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that's exactly right. So I was there as well. And we are right outside the Bell Theater. If you're around the Neighborhood, come on out. 859-280-2287. We are here for the Mount Laurel Festival, one of the state's oldest festivals. It goes on now through Sunday. It has been called Ryan America's the queen ceremony, which is in the pine or in the amphitheater up here. It has been called America's best outdoor beauty pageant. Have you. Did you know that?

[Drew Franklin]

I didn't know that, but that's why I know the Mount Laurel festival is for the beauty pageant. I think they did. They crowned the princess tonight. The high school princess tonight. Then the college queen will be tomorrow. And it's a big deal here.

[Matt Jones]

It is a big deal. Yeah. You know, the governor used to come every year. Have you been able to keep that tradition up or is Andy and them as he stopped coming? Andy. He comes every. There you go. The governor comes every year to. My mom used to say if the governor doesn't come and he can expect to not win Bell county or at least not win Pineville the next time he comes.

[Ryan Lemond]

I did my research. I guess maybe on Saturday the governor's here and all the pageant contestants they do a little curtsy for him as part of the. The process. I found it very interesting. Most festivals, like have a pageant one night and it's just part of a bigger event. This pageant has a festival. It's all about the pageant here.

[Matt Jones]

Who's the singer? Usually you all have a.

[Ryan Lemond]

Is there a singer Doe was last night.

[Matt Jones]

Wow. Wait a minute.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah, we missed it.

[Shannon the Dude]

Two dozen roses.

[Matt Jones]

Hang on just a sec. You had Shenandoah here last night and no one told me. Are you could have been over here.

[Drew Franklin]

Wow.

[Shannon the Dude]

You were sitting over at the Pine Mountain Resort.

[Matt Jones]

How did I not know? I could have gone and seen two dozen roses and it might have changed my mind and I didn't.

[Ryan Lemond]

That's how they let it off. Night one.

[Matt Jones]

Are you now I'm officially angry about that. I love Sha. Oh.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, I think they had Luke Bryan when he. Before he blew up.

[Shannon the Dude]

Right?

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, he was. He was here before he blew up.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, thank you. They're bringing us lemonade. So it's a festival. So there are food trucks and. And all that. There are rides, bouncy house and all of. And all the other stuff.

[Drew Franklin]

Thank the Lord that chain is still securing that rock right up the hill.

[Shannon the Dude]

Where is this Rock looking up in the air, trying to see a rock.

[Matt Jones]

So if you're on the other side of this building, chain rock is over there. When it's over, we'll walk over so you can see that you're protected.

[Shannon the Dude]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

The. From the rock falling. And if it did. Look at these. Look at these EP right here. Y' all be crushed, Wouldn't you. You'd be absolute. And thankfully, Ryan, it's. It's. It's been protected.

[Shannon the Dude]

Did they ever, like, update the chain, or is it the same?

[Drew Franklin]

No, same chain, but it's so strong. It does such a great job. They don't need to change it. It's gonna protect this city for years.

[Shannon the Dude]

I need a chain like that. I don't even know what I need it for. I just need it.

[Matt Jones]

Are you excited that you're in? It looks like maybe the Jones and Bruce has now been turned to an Airbnb, so you could. You could stay there and. Like, this is where practice law at one point.

[Drew Franklin]

That's why I said you kind of got a little pep in your step. You're kind of back home. Your mom. This is where she used to drag you to all the court cases.

[Matt Jones]

And watched more court. Like, that's. You ask how I ended up a dork. You could thank that building right there for me having to sit and watch court when I was a kid.

[Ryan Lemond]

I've actually been in that building with you for court. I don't know why, but one time you brought me, and I just watched Karen.

[Matt Jones]

Why did we do that?

[Ryan Lemond]

I'm not real sure, but I had a good time. It was fun being here. Well, and with Ryan, he has his two things. Moment he gets in the car. We're talking about chain rock. I drove today, but the. The flood walls, too, pointed out to Mario.

[Matt Jones]

So, Russ, when was the last time the flood wall has been closed?

[Drew Franklin]

February.

[Matt Jones]

It was closed this February?

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, during all the rain.

[Matt Jones]

You all closed it.

[Drew Franklin]

It's been closed twice since they built it, and last time was in February.

[Matt Jones]

The mayor's right there.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, there's the mayor.

[Matt Jones]

All right. The mayor. Well, so they closed. So there's your question. You asked when it was closed. It's been closed.

[Drew Franklin]

Well, they had that devastating flood in 1977. They built the 78. They only had to close it twice, so it's protecting the town. Got a chain. Got floodgates. Pineville safe.

[Matt Jones]

Pineville is safe. Thank goodness. Well, thank you all very much for. For bringing us here. I'm serious about that. It's always nice to come back home and you appreciate. I'll tell you guys are here because there's some high school kids here. You guys will appreciate it more when you're older. I know when I was here in high school, Russ, you were probably like this. You were like, oh, I got to go do something else. Got to go do something else. You appreciate it more when you've been gone and come back. So thank you all very much. Now, yesterday on the show, we had Mark Pope. Ryan, great response to the interview. All day and night, people seem to love Mark. I mean, how can you not love him? And I think you saw over the course of the hour and 15 minutes, like, why he's connected so well with the fan base.

[Drew Franklin]

The overall theme that people talked to me about that interview yesterday with Mark Pope was that he was just talking with us, not talking down to us. And I think that came across in an interview. He just seemed like you and him were just sitting at a table, just kind of yakking it up. And we were across that way.

[Matt Jones]

We were. And Mario showed my thigh on the video a lot, but otherwise, I thought he was great. Now, there's a few things he wanted to say that I wanted to kind of. That I thought were interesting kind of newsy things. Let's start with. He said in, you know, during the portal season, there was this narrative started mostly by Louisville fans that he was whiffing on guys, Right. Like, he was recruiting somebody. We wouldn't get him, and people would say, oh, he's with. With whiff. He noted yesterday. And by the way, I tried to say at the time, because I heard the same thing, that a lot of it is they don't know any of these guys in the portal. They've seen them play, but they haven't recruited. They don't know him. So they meet him, and sometimes they say, that's not somebody for us. I mean, I'll just give you one. That was the case. What was the kid's name, the point guard from Georgia that went somewhere else?

[Ryan Lemond]

Silas Demery.

[Matt Jones]

Silas Demery. That was a kid that I know. Pope didn't say this, but I know they met with, and they were just like, yeah, I just don't think it's going to be a fit. Nice to meet you. Thanks. I think. I think maybe even went down there. Yeah.

[Ryan Lemond]

Like, surprise. Like, what are you doing for dinner? I'll be there.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, he went for dinner. And I don't know what they ate, but for whatever reason, maybe it didn't sit well in his Stomach. It was not. It didn't work. It was interesting to hear him Drew talk about that yesterday.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah, I'm glad he said that. When. When the portal season was at full speed, I even said, I don't think some of our fans are built for this, because there would be a tweet. Mark Pope zoomed player X, and then that player five days later would commit somewhere else. Everyone just assumed Pope couldn't get him. But sometimes five minutes into a conversation, if the kid says, I want this much money and this many shots, you're like, well, I don't. You know, I don't think that's going to line up with what we want. You just shake hands and go on your way. And that probably happened more times than we'll ever know.

[Matt Jones]

I think it happened quite a bit. I'm not. I mean, I do think there was a couple cases, like the kid from Sam Houston State, where they wanted someone and they picked another school. Maybe they got outbid or whatever, but there were some that the kid wanted to come here, and they said no. Then the second thing, Ryan, he said he begged Travis Perry to stay. Those were his words. We begged him to stay, but ultimately he wanted something else from his basketball career than us. Now, I'll give a little side thing. They begged him to stay, but we also probably weren't willing to match the money that Ole Miss was going to pay because they probably didn't see him as one of the eight to 10 best players on the team. But what did you think about Mark saying he begged Travis Perry to step.

[Drew Franklin]

It was kind of refreshing to hear a coach be that open and candid, talk about a player that was leaving your program. But, you know, he. Mark said to you, my soul was crushed. It devastated me. I think he asked the word he used. Devastated?

[Matt Jones]

He said, yeah, he said devastated.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. It just kind of was being sincere. I don't think he was making up. That was Mark Pope being sincere, that it devastated him that a player that he really liked was going to leave the program.

[Matt Jones]

Shan, were you surprised he said he was devastated by.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah. I mean, I feel like that's a little extreme, but that's Mark Pope's personality. Right. So ultimately, though, you have to just let the kid do what he wants to do. Would we love to have him here? Yes. But how much of a role would he have really had on this team if he just stayed for this next season? I don't.

[Matt Jones]

I don't think. I don't think a big one.

[Shannon the Dude]

And. And I think that's probably why Travis Perry left.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I, I don't think he would have had a big one, but I did think, you know, Drew, I thought it was weird at the time that Perry didn't release a statement when he left. Mark didn't release a statement that when, when he left. I, I think there was some, I don't want to say ill will, but there was some frustration maybe on both sides. It's nice to. It was nice to hear him publicly acknowledge, hey, we wanted him. It just didn't happen.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah, I want a scenario like, hey, we're looking at this guy or this guy, and just numbers aren't adding up. You might want to look somewhere else. It sound like even Travis was a part of the plan. Even though he's not going to be one of the first guys off the bench, Pope still saw a long term vision for him, and Travis just wanted something a little sooner.

[Matt Jones]

Then he talked about scheduling, said he, you know, we play 31 regular season games a year. He said he wished we played 35, that he actually would like there to be 40. And he said, if we can get to 35, his quote was, we'll go play home and home with UConn. We'll go play home and home with Kansas. He didn't say Duke, which makes me wonder if he was sneaking that maybe that's going to happen as it is. I hope that's what he meant. But he also, and he said, we'll go play in Maui. We can do that if we go to 35. I love that, Ryan, because we just had a coach who we could have gone to 50 games and he wouldn't have played a home and home at UConn or any of those places. It was nice to hear him say.

[Drew Franklin]

That as a fan. That was my biggest takeaway. That what got me the most excited of everything he said yesterday is that, yeah, he's not going to shy away from playing the big boys like we have in the past, try to load up with teams that we know are going to be by 50 and order him not to play zone. But he, Pope was like, absolutely, yeah, what about the best?

[Matt Jones]

What about that, Shannon? He, he kind of said something that, that we didn't know, which is when we went to the Bahamas and we beat all those pro teams by 50. Right. That he had made them not play zone. Pope said that he, he was like, when they got down there, Cal goes, we paid for your trip. You can't play zone.

[Shannon the Dude]

I don't understand how that helps you at all. As A program.

[Matt Jones]

Well, we saw it when we played zone during the season. We were never ready for it.

[Shannon the Dude]

You're putting restrictions on your opponents. I don't know how that benefits you at all.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah, that made me angrier than it.

[Matt Jones]

Should have because that's really mad.

[Ryan Lemond]

Well, I know of at least three times that happened. It makes me wonder, was it every exhibition? Because when you go beat a team by 50 points and we're getting excited thinking you have something, we assumed you were playing by the rules of basketball as they're written, but it was almost like he was covering them up to build up hype. Kentucky State, they did that.

[Matt Jones]

It's Kentucky. They did it with Kentucky.

[Ryan Lemond]

I'm getting worked up now thinking about it.

[Matt Jones]

It does make you mad. Well, I appreciate Mark doing it. We'll talk more in a little bit about the other stuff he did. We are here in Pineville, Kentucky. It's a mountain laurel festival. What's your name here? Knock central crazy. Chase, you got. How old are you? 17? Shannon, look at that mustache. You couldn't grow that mustache right now. It's that Pineville in the water in Barberville and Pineville. You can get that mustache at 17 years old. Now, Chase, you're sitting in the front row and I said to you, if you sit in the front row, you have to be loud. So when I say we're leaving, people are supposed to clap. You have to be the loudest.

[Drew Franklin]

He's a knock central crazy.

[Matt Jones]

I want you to be as good at clapping as you are growing facial hair. You're the president of the mustache club, President of the Knox Central mustache club. A lot of people in that club, by the way. I can tell you. We will take a break and be back here in Pineville. This is Kentucky sports Radio. There you go, Chase.

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[Matt Jones]

Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio here live in Pineville at the Mountain Laurel Festival, right down the street from the La Esperanza. You know, we've talked about, Ryan. Everyone has a different ranking of La Esperanzas. There are now multiple. Russ Thompson says Pineville's got the best La Esperanza. Do you believe that?

[Drew Franklin]

No, I'm going to go with Larry, Larry Blondell. He says the best one is in Middlesex. It's only one he's ever going to go to. That's the best.

[Matt Jones]

The one at the Roses, which is not even a Roses anymore. Right.

[Drew Franklin]

That's it. Don't go anywhere else.

[Matt Jones]

That's exactly right. My mom wanted me to say to everybody here, she would have been here, but she's at, at Wheaton in the Wheaton Divinity School. But she did. She's. Well, she didn't like what I said. She was in college. She wanted to be clear. I said that she was in the Divinity School. She didn't really like my joke there. I want to throw this out, Ryan. You get to throw it in, too.

[Drew Franklin]

Okay.

[Matt Jones]

I was up at Pine Mountain Lodge last night looking out the mountain and I thought to myself, this is one of the five probably most beautiful views in Kentucky. Which leads me to, if we. People ask me this all the time, if they wanted to take a view to the prettiest parts of Kentucky, where would they go? So I'm going to say two of them are in this county or close. One of them is up there at the Pine Mountain Lodge, I think the Pinnacle in Cumberland Gap, which is technically Tennessee, but we'll claim it. Okay. I think is the second one. Another one for me is in Whitesburg. When you go up 119, there's this view you can pull over and you look over the mountains, and I think it might. That might be the most beautiful view in Kentucky. What else would you put on that list? Those three, for me, are definite, and they're all in eastern Kentucky. What would you put?

[Drew Franklin]

I would put Lake Cumberland there and Cumberland Falls.

[Matt Jones]

Definitely the Cumberland Falls view. I agree.

[Drew Franklin]

Absolutely. I've even put the Kentucky lakes, Barkley and Kentucky Lake over there. But you're right. We take it for granted. Kentucky is so beautiful in certain areas. We take it for granted. And when people come to visit, they're, like, always blown away by the beauty of this state.

[Matt Jones]

And then that part in pike county, that's kind of off. Is it called the Breaks? Is that what. Is that what it's called? All right, so if you were to want to take a drive, I've had you do this drive before, Drew.

[Ryan Lemond]

We've done every drive, Matt.

[Matt Jones]

No, but you did it with Abby once, right?

[Ryan Lemond]

That was the Pinnacle.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, yeah. So I think if you took a drive, you come, go down 75, get off at exit 29, come through here, go to the Pinnacle, go to Pine Mountain, then up through Harland Whitesburg to Pikeville. And the Breaks, Ryan, I think that is, like, the best eastern Kentucky drive you could take.

[Drew Franklin]

You brought us over here one time in the fall, and he was just blown away. When the trees start changing colors, it is unbelievably beautiful over here.

[Matt Jones]

So people. When people ask me that, and they ask me that all the time, that's the drive 75 to 25E, up 119 to Pike. Well, that's the draft in 2020, when.

[Ryan Lemond]

We couldn't leave our homes or go places. We drove all the way to Virginia and hit all those stops. But one day we drove just to the Pinnacle, and it was like Chevy Chase and Vacation. They were closed for maintenance that one day. So we drove two hours and then just drove straight back home. But Pinnacle, I. I haven't done them all, but that one's high on my list.

[Matt Jones]

Shay Gilgis Alexander. Before we go, the phones. 859-280-2287. Shea Gilgis Alexander was named MVP yesterday. Fair again. Give a round of applause for that. How about this? First ever player to play at Kentucky to be the MVP of the NBA. That's kind of an amazing stat. And think about all the guys that have come through here over the years. You know, Dan is Kenny Walker, Jamal Mashburn, Jack Givens, Anthony Davis, John Wall. If I told you when they enrolled in school, right, that the first one to be The MVP would be Shea Gilgis Alexander. You'd never have believed.

[Drew Franklin]

Never, ever. If you just take the cow guys, he may be the 10. I would have guessed probably there's so many guys ahead of him that would have won the MVP. And then he played like an MVP last night, got the trophy, had 38 points in the game.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. And it was nice to see his. His teammates how into it they were. Shit. And they were. They were going crazy for him. I mean, just go back and think about Shay Gilgis Alexander for a second, grows up in Canada, ends up down in Tennessee, doesn't make the McDonald's All American team. On a UK team filled with top recruits, he was considered like the afterthought. Remember that was like Kevin Knox, Quade Green. Was that Khalil Whitney?

[Ryan Lemond]

Maybe CL was a little later.

[Matt Jones]

Okay. But there were like four guys that were considered elite. And then they're like. And oh yeah, there's this guy named Shay Alexander and now Shannon, he ends up an mvp. Mvp. Pretty amazing rise by that guy. Yeah.

[Shannon the Dude]

When you look at his journey, I mean you could have gotten really good odds on draftkings for him to be the first guy out of all those caliper. He has to end up being the MVP in the NBA. We were talking about him on the pre show a little bit. He's become one of those guys that's so tough to defend that he, he frustrates the. The defense to where they end up making fouls. You know, like, oh, he gets more foul. He's got shoved to the ground last night.

[Matt Jones]

But also think about this. This is the thing people forget about him. He's one of the few MVPs to win their MVP award with a different team first than drafted. He was drafted by the Clippers and traded after a year. I mean they, they, that's. You don't see guys that good ever get traded early in their career. And he, they. I'm not gonna say they gave up on him. They were trying to get Paul George, but nevertheless, Drew, that's. You know, he was traded. Like if the clip. You wish to think the Clippers wish they had him back.

[Ryan Lemond]

Yeah. I saw a graphic on social media yesterday showing that trade. People wonder if it's the worst trade ever because the Thunder got so many picks.

[Shannon the Dude]

Shea.

[Ryan Lemond]

And they've basically built their success right now and having draft picks and guys come to their system. So for Shay to just be part of a tray, he's like one of seven or eight pieces in it to be mvp. That's Nuts.

[Matt Jones]

By the way, send me on the tax machine. The best views in Kentucky. 772-77-45254. We are at a carnival. You know, the Mount Laurel Festival has carnival stuff. What's your favorite thing to eat at a carnival? I have a feeling you eat all of this stuff and that's terrible. Like a deep fried Oreo or deep fried Twinkie.

[Shannon the Dude]

Bacon ranch cheese fries. Do sound.

[Matt Jones]

Bacon ranch cheese fries.

[Ryan Lemond]

Get a bucket. Look at the size of that bucket of fries. I mean, that would take 10 people to eat that. So I'm gonna get one.

[Drew Franklin]

The greasier the better when it comes to carnival foods. But a funnel cakes to go to. You got to get a funnel cake when you come to a place like this, don't you?

[Matt Jones]

Good funnel.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, yeah. Covered in all that powdered sugar.

[Matt Jones]

Do they. Do they have corn dogs? You can't get a corn dog too many places on earth except a. A carnival and a corn. Do you like a good corn dog?

[Shannon the Dude]

Oh, yeah. That's. That's my go to. We got some lemonade right here. Fresh, freshly squeezed lemonade. I don't know why it tastes better when it's freshly squeezed.

[Matt Jones]

They still chase, right? They still serve corn dogs in high school cafeterias. Unfortunately, that was a big thing in Middlesboro. Corn dog day.

[Shannon the Dude]

French fries.

[Matt Jones]

The attendance was. The attendance was always up on corn dog day, Drew. Yeah.

[Ryan Lemond]

You don't know what you have till it's gone. I miss regular corn dogs in my life. That's why today there's probably eight food trucks. I'm gonna get one thing in each of them. We're just gonna do a tour de Pondville.

[Matt Jones]

All right. Well, that'd be a good video for the food trucks. Who's up first?

[Drew Franklin]

Kentucky Joe.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, good. Kentucky Joe. Go for it, Kentucky Joe. All right. So, Liam. Yeah. Are you there, Joe? Yeah, I'm here. Wait a minute. I'm not going to wait. I'm not going to wait on you. We are on live radio, Joe. I can't wait on you. Hey. Hey. You hear me now? Yes. Okay. I'm by the window. Thank goodness. I'm glad you're by the wind.

[Shannon the Dude]

Don't jump out it.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Hey. Hey, man. Hey, man.

[Ryan Lemond]

It's been an interesting week.

[Matt Jones]

You made. You made me cry Monday with the soul down there and London. I mean, you're. You're making me smile today and mean. Well, good. It's. Hey, hey, hey, hey.

[Drew Franklin]

The clogging.

[Matt Jones]

There's gonna be some. All right, Joe. Enjoy the weather. Have a good Time. We'll take a break and be right back. It's ksr.

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[Matt Jones]

Call tj.

[Shannon the Dude]

He'll make him pay. Now more of Kentucky Sports Radio, presented by Stockton Mortgage. Here's Matt Jones.

[Matt Jones]

Welcome back. It is Kentucky Sports Radio here at the Mountain Laurel Festival. Liam's playing that Rick music today. Liam, where are you getting this? First of all, Liam, this is his first day doing the show by himself. Liam, tell the audience about you. Who are you? How old are you, Liam? Liam, I'm 23.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

I'm a scholar. Read a few books back in the day.

[Matt Jones]

You're a scholar? Is that what you said? You're a scholar? Okay. Liam the scholar, 23 years old. Where are you from, Liam?

[Drew Franklin]

Northern Kentucky.

[Matt Jones]

I went to Simon from Northern Kentucky. Went to Simon Kenton. All right, so why did you play that song? That's like old people music. Did you?

[Shannon the Dude]

It's baby making music.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. Why'd you pick that?

[Drew Franklin]

Because there was telephone issues.

[T-Mobile Advertiser]

So, Mr. Telephone man, there's something wrong with my line.

[Drew Franklin]

Aha.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, look at that. I didn't realize. Maybe Liam has deeper meaning than I realize. All right, Liam, good. Take it back. Well done. All right, so I asked you the best views in Kentucky. I've already given you Pine Mountain, the Pinnacle, the Breaks. By the way, Tyler Childers has multiple songs about the Breaks because he would go there when he was. When he was young. All right, here's some of the answers. See what you think. Ryan Claiborne Farm in Paris.

[Drew Franklin]

Beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

[Matt Jones]

I drove by there, like two weeks ago as the sun was setting. You're exactly right. Absolutely beautiful. Red River Gorge.

[Drew Franklin]

That's another great one. I don't know why we didn't even think of that. Yeah, with the natural bridge and the gorge.

[Matt Jones]

Yes. Mammoth Cave. I guess you're inside the cave, but if you're in the cave. If you're in the cave, Shannon, that.

[Shannon the Dude]

Would be cave, as Mark Pope would call it. Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

By the way, did you. Was it all right, Channing, you thought I made fun of Pope for all his beautifuls?

[Shannon the Dude]

I love that part of it. It was so light hearted. I don't think you could have done that with Caliperi.

[Matt Jones]

No.

[Shannon the Dude]

Like I think Caliperi would have got.

[Matt Jones]

Well, I'll tell you one thing you couldn't have done with Cal was when I sort of questioned his substitution patterns.

[Shannon the Dude]

And his three, he said, poor coaching.

[Matt Jones]

But I said to him, hey, you said you were going to shoot 30 threes. You didn't shoot 30 threes. And I, I mean, he acknowledged it and then gave an answer. But Drew isn't. That's what a coach should do, right? I mean, rather than get angry and goes, are you a basketball Benny? Did you like when he said, still one of the maddest times he's ever made me, when he looked at Tyler Thompson, said, have you even watched the games? And I wanted to just mess up his terrible hair. Well, his great. He has great hair, but mess it up, make it terrible. I wanted to make it terrible. Pope handles it the right way. Okay, here's why I do that. I thought that was great.

[Ryan Lemond]

I thought that. And I think a lot of people did. We, we had a board thread kind of reaction, reacting to the whole interview. And a lot of people mentioned that you couldn't have done that with Cali. Would have gotten very defensive, might have pulled your credential. You definitely would have been in trouble.

[Matt Jones]

Definitely. 859-280-2287. Cope, open lines. Give us a shout. Little slow on the phone this morning. Kentucky player next year, Aberdeen. Sorry, first name, Denzel. Denzel. He went with the rest of the Florida Gators to the White House because they won the national championship. So they get to visit the. The White House. Denzel, Aberdeen, who even know he's transferring. He helped win the title. So he goes. Two funny things that happen. First of all. Well, first of all, Trump mentioned him in the speech. He did, as you know, as having played. Well, two interesting things. First of all, they did the Gator chomp while they were taking the picture. And he was the only guy on the team, Ryan, that didn't do the Gator chop. Everyone else did. He just stood there. You think that was like a little. You think that was on purpose? What do you think?

[Drew Franklin]

Kind of won. He kind of won me over when he did that. The whole team's doing it but him. That tells me his loyalty is now with the Kentucky Wildcats. He's not going to do that for the Florida game.

[Matt Jones]

Did you like that, Drew?

[Ryan Lemond]

Oh, of course. I mean, that's a kid. He grew up in Florida. Orlando, Ryan's favorite city, Florida state champion, played three years as a Gator and wore a ring. But he's like, no, I'm a cat now. I can't participate.

[Matt Jones]

This can't do the Gator chomp. Then the other great moment from the Gator visit is, what's the guy who's 7 foot 9 or whatever? What's his name? Have you.

[Ryan Lemond]

Olivier Rue.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. He goes to shake Donald Trump's hand And Donald stays sitting in the chair. And the visual of this 7 foot 9 man reaching down to shake hands is one of the better video clips I've ever seen. Did you see that?

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that is. It's hilarious.

[Shannon the Dude]

Probably good that Trump. Trump didn't stand up because that would just make it look even weaker.

[Matt Jones]

Right. Here's the thing. So Trump is my height.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, he's a big guy.

[Matt Jones]

Trump's Trump 6, 3, 6 4. He's kind. I think he and I, I mean, we don't have anything in common. Basically the same person, but if. But we're about the same height. But a dude that tall can make you look short. I mean, go look at the picture of me with Mark Pope. He makes me look short. 7 foot 9 guy can make you look really short if you're. And I don't think he would have liked.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah, the last thing you want is the president is somebody towering over you. So, I mean, I think that's why.

[Matt Jones]

So you.

[Shannon the Dude]

He sat down on purpose, of course.

[Matt Jones]

I think that's probably right with all those tall people.

[Ryan Lemond]

My favorite moment was when he asked, he said, where's Aberdeen? Aberdeen kind of stood forward, raised his hand, and he said, I have a house in Aberdeen, Scotland. And that was like. That's what he had to say to him.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, I was going to be nice and not say what was thought.

[Ryan Lemond]

I just thought that was neat.

[Matt Jones]

Where's Aberdeen? I have a house in Aberdeen, Scotland. But hopefully, Ryan, we're. He gets to go to the White House again next year, and he's visiting with us as we win the title.

[Drew Franklin]

You know, I'm still kind of amazed that he picked Kentucky. You know, he looked at the roster, but if he wants to be a part of that team, he's got it. He's gonna. Like I said, I think they may start him. Otega and Low both gotta go small a little bit. Start those three guys.

[Matt Jones]

Who's up next? Liam. Bruce. Bruce. Go ahead, Bruce.

[Shannon the Dude]

Matt, did you know that Bell county.

[Matt Jones]

And Pineville started high school wrestling teams recently? You all have a high school wrestling team in Pineville. I did not know that. Bruce, thank you for letting me know. Why do you know that?

[Drew Franklin]

Well, I was gonna say, well, apparently.

[Matt Jones]

That the Middlesborough students are too weak.

[Shannon the Dude]

Especially their 1998 alumni, to have a wrestling team.

[Ryan Lemond]

Wow.

[Drew Franklin]

Wow.

[Matt Jones]

Clearly you're not talking about me. I did not graduate in 1998. I graduated 1996 with Lawrence Moyers, who's sitting here in the crowd right now. So. So that was Close to being anything.

[Drew Franklin]

In the late 90s.

[Shannon the Dude]

How about that?

[Matt Jones]

Anything in the late 90s. Well, good. I didn't realize that. Wrestling growing. Yes, go ahead. One more thing. The. There's a very good possibility that pickleball is going to be adopted as a.

[Drew Franklin]

High school athletic sport.

[Matt Jones]

Not undermined.

[Shannon the Dude]

No, that. That's some scuttle.

[Drew Franklin]

But the high school pickle ball is going to be a 4 in the spring.

[Matt Jones]

What would it take for you to.

[Shannon the Dude]

Broadcast the state championship game of that? Oh, we got to do it.

[Drew Franklin]

Oh, there's no doubt.

[Matt Jones]

Half a million dollars.

[Shannon the Dude]

We'll do it for half a million.

[Matt Jones]

First of all, I'm not. Appreciate the call. That's not true, is it? We're not.

[Drew Franklin]

Russ is shaking his head.

[Matt Jones]

They're going to do high school pickle ball. What has happened to this state? I thought we were. Are you.

[Drew Franklin]

Are you being real?

[Matt Jones]

When are we gonna have high school ping pong? Is that what's.

[Ryan Lemond]

I thought pickleball was for old people. Can't the. Can't the high schoolers play tennis?

[Matt Jones]

Kids can play tennis like pickleball's for old people.

[Drew Franklin]

Not a lot of overhead. You already got the court.

[Matt Jones]

Is there even a pickleball court down here? Hopefully not.

[Ryan Lemond]

They'll build one everywhere.

[Drew Franklin]

You played high school basketball against Russ Thompson. I think he had 24 points. How many points he was that day?

[Matt Jones]

He was good. I was not good. So Russ was. Russ was a good basketball player. I was like all American class. James Johnson on the bench, just taunting him from the background. I didn't. I was not a big player.

[Ryan Lemond]

You're a role player, though. Every team needs a role player.

[Matt Jones]

My role was to clap and be the water bottle. This is. This is the 1972 Kentucky Mountain Laurel Festival program. Just so you know, the winner of the 1972 Mountain Laurel Queen was Wanda Sue Stiles from Midway College.

[Shannon the Dude]

What a fox.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, yeah. She was quite the looker back in 1972.

[Matt Jones]

You know, I mean, Wanda, just so you know, Wanda sue would now be 76 years old.

[Shannon the Dude]

Yeah, 76 year old fox.

[Ryan Lemond]

I like in the front of that program, it shows people that participated like Rupp is listed. There's a lot of big time names of people that have been directors and.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, so this is. They have the, the list of directors for the, for the. For the pageant. You know who's. So let me read you some of the people that were directors for the Mountain Laurel pageant in 1972. Adolph Rupp.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah.

[Matt Jones]

Oh, was one of the directors Oscar Robertson? Really is that the Oscar Robertson or is that some guy here named Oscar Robertson?

[Ryan Lemond]

The.

[Matt Jones]

You all had Oscar Robertson on the board of directors.

[Drew Franklin]

Wow. How about that?

[Shannon the Dude]

You get Pope on there?

[Ryan Lemond]

That's Bertie Combs. He's got like a highway.

[Matt Jones]

Right? Combs. Former governor.

[Ryan Lemond]

That too.

[Matt Jones]

Wow. He also has a highway. William T. Young.

[Drew Franklin]

Yes. Big horse guy.

[Ryan Lemond]

Big library guy.

[Drew Franklin]

Love that library peanut butter.

[Matt Jones]

I also recognize some Middlesboro names here. Kirby Smith and all that. So anyway, 1972 Mountain Laurel Festival. It's 859-280-2287. We are here in Pineville, right here in southeastern Kentucky. We'll take a break and be right back. This is Kentucky Sports Radio.

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[Matt Jones]

All right, Liam. Welcome back Techie sports radio.

[Drew Franklin]

Great song.

[Matt Jones]

I think I like. Listen. I think I like Liam Shannon. That's a song Tyler wrote about the brakes. He's like, he's following in your footsteps. You better watch yourself. This might be a younger Shannon.

[Shannon the Dude]

The dude, he knows what you like. So he's. He's sucking up right now is what he's doing.

[Matt Jones]

Just like our president, I'm here to be bought. Stop overpaying for sunglasses and check out Shady Rays, an independent American owned company started right here in Kentucky. Premium polarized shades. I'm wearing them right now because it is a beautiful day here in Pineville. Try the entire [e-mail] they're in Lexington, Louisville, and online. They also have a blue and white collection as well. It is Shady Rays. Speaking of that, one person writes me and says, my brother and I have a bet for $150. Drew.

[Ryan Lemond]

It's a lot of money, Matt.

[Matt Jones]

You have to decide it. We got in this argument last night. If you were the athletic director at Kentucky, Donald Trump wanted to come to a Kentucky basketball game, would you say yes or no? All right, so that's the bet. Well, let's say before I answer, what do you think my answer would be? Knowing my feelings about him, would I say yes or no? If I was the athletic director at Donald Trump coming to a UK game.

[Shannon the Dude]

Shannon, you'd say yes.

[Matt Jones]

Well, what would I say?

[Drew Franklin]

He's still the president, United States. You would say yes.

[Ryan Lemond]

I think you would also say yes.

[Matt Jones]

I would definitely. I would definitely say yes. So who. Whichever of you bet. It would be a hassle, right? It would make it a hassle for everybody. And. But yes, if he's the president, you would invite him. Especially if you're a public university that takes federal funds. Then, yes, I would say that. No matter who the president. Unless, you know, no matter who the president was. Yes, you would invite.

[Shannon the Dude]

Put him on the bench, make him the 15th man. Give him a jersey, you know, put him out there.

[Matt Jones]

You think he'd be a good 15th man.

[Drew Franklin]

Do the wide.

[Matt Jones]

I don't know if I'd have him be the one.

[Shannon the Dude]

Put him in the layup line.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, that might be a little different. But of course, you would definitely bite him. So Whoever got that $150. All right, let me give you a fairness situation, Shannon. You tell me how they should have ruled. Class A, Region one track championship.

[Drew Franklin]

I like it already.

[Matt Jones]

So this is Western Kentucky. This happened on Saturday. Class A Region 1 state track championship or regional track championship. They have all the races. Okay. 100 meters, 200 meters, 50. I don't know what all they have, but they had all the ones they had. Then when it was over, the people who come in first and second, they in a move on to the state tournament. They find out, though, the next day that the timing equipment was broken, that there would. They were off on the timing equipment. Now the timing equipment in the finals, they crossed a tape so you could see who won. But in the preliminaries, the timing equipment may have been off. And so now they are making everyone.

[Shannon the Dude]

Come back as they should. Yep.

[Matt Jones]

Next week and run it all again. So the people that were in first and second no longer get to Go to state. They got to do it again. And they're making everybody come back. Good decision, bad decision.

[Shannon the Dude]

So you're saying even the people that weren't time. The people that were just racing and clearly finished, they had like preliminaries and.

[Matt Jones]

You made it based on time.

[Shannon the Dude]

Okay, that was screwed up.

[Matt Jones]

Now the finals races where the first and second place people went. Yeah, they. It was a.

[Shannon the Dude]

Right.

[Matt Jones]

Now the, the. I've heard people write me say, look, none of the people that got out of the preliminaries, they weren't going to the finals anyway. But they're still running the whole thing again. I think they should run it.

[Shannon the Dude]

I think we got to run it back to make sure it's legit. Otherwise those times mean nothing. So if you're the top two runners though, naturally you should still finish when we run it back again. You should still finish in the top two if you're the two best.

[Matt Jones]

Mr. High School Sports Ryan, run it back again. Or say, well, it's like basketball ref may get the call wrong, but it is what it is.

[Drew Franklin]

I thought you started telling the story. You were going to tell us that they are just going to take it even though they had admitted timing malfunctions. I thought they were going to take the finals as they were. The fact they're going to redo it. I think that's the right decision. I mean if you got the extra weekend before the state finals anyway, why not do it?

[Matt Jones]

But what if you came in second in a close race, you run it back and now you come in third.

[Shannon the Dude]

Tough.

[Drew Franklin]

Finish second this time.

[Shannon the Dude]

Be faster.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah, be faster.

[Matt Jones]

All right.

[Ryan Lemond]

I'm going to go the other direction. Congratulations to our winners. Sorry our equipment messed up. That's life. Whoops. We'll do better next year.

[Matt Jones]

But it's these kids senior year of high school. They're one chance to be and play in the glory of the state tournament like I did in doubles tennis when I lost 6060 to a group of 8th graders. They could have also an equipment malfunction. They could. They're not going to get to have that moment.

[Ryan Lemond]

It's sad, but I mean it's tough luck. I mean I would be very upset whoever messed this up. We didn't have our equipment. Right. But you've already crowned a winner. I say too bad.

[Shannon the Dude]

What. What's your decision?

[Matt Jones]

So normally if the whole thing, if the finals were timed, I would agree with you all. Run it back. But if the. If the finals race was like whoever got there first and we Know, then I say, look, those were going to be the ones that would have made it anyway. I'm going to go ahead and take.

[Shannon the Dude]

But don't those preliminaries matter? Because that depends on who. Who gets in.

[Matt Jones]

But I'm going to feel like if you weren't good enough to come in, like, like far ahead in the preliminaries, you weren't going to win the finals.

[Ryan Lemond]

I'm assuming it was kind of clear, even if the times were off a little bit.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. But it's interesting. All those people have to come back. Some people apparently missed their high school graduation to go the last time. Oh. And now they have to go back and do more.

[Shannon the Dude]

Split two, two.

[Matt Jones]

So we're split two, two. We'll have to go. How many of you would make them run it back? Raise your hand.

[Shannon the Dude]

Not one person.

[Ryan Lemond]

Nobody.

[Matt Jones]

How many of you would say it is what it is. Get over it, kids. Unanimous. Look, you talk about being in the minority.

[Shannon the Dude]

No one agrees. The only two in Pineville. The entire city.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah.

[Shannon the Dude]

Say they should have to come back.

[Matt Jones]

Let me tell you what they don't give out in Pineville. Participation trophies. I can see that there are none of those in Pineville. Who's up next?

[Drew Franklin]

Aaron.

[Matt Jones]

Aaron. Wow, I didn't expect.

[Drew Franklin]

Me neither.

[Matt Jones]

Aaron. Go ahead. Aaron. Yeah. Do you. In three years, do you expect this show to be in its current form with you as the host? You know something? I don't know what are you talking about? Aaron, do you. Do you plan on being the host in three years? All right, so it's three years. That would be 26, 25, 26, 27. So you're talking about 28. Yeah, if you. I'll be. Yeah.

[Shannon the Dude]

I mean, you just sign a five year deal.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, No, I mean, I'm going to go like, you know, I kind of look at things in blocks and I've kind of. I think absent getting fired. I think through 28 is a pretty good bet, but not after. So I don't know. That's four years. What are you gonna be doing in four years? I don't, you know, I don't. I don't know. Okay, we'll see in three years.

[Ryan Lemond]

I think that guy's betting on the under.

[Drew Franklin]

Yeah. He knows something. We don't know.

[Matt Jones]

That was kind of ominous.

[Shannon the Dude]

It was. Yeah. I don't know where.

[Drew Franklin]

So we'll see in three years. Like he knows what's gonna happen in three years.

[Ryan Lemond]

Just right to the point too.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah. I don't know. That was really.

[Ryan Lemond]

That was Kind of worried about you.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, well, hopefully. Hopefully he doesn't know anything. I. I don't. But why not? I mean, I'll go at least through. Through this.

[Drew Franklin]

If not, this office is still open.

[Matt Jones]

You can.

[Drew Franklin]

Johnny Bruce can go back.

[Matt Jones]

They've turned it into an Airbnb. I don't think I can go back.

[Shannon the Dude]

To you think they charge more for that Airbnb? Knowing the history that you once practice.

[Matt Jones]

Law there, I would make you a bet there's not one person here, and maybe not one person in this town that knew that that was where my office was. I mean, I didn't even get the right building the first time, so. So yeah, I don't think it's a. It's a historical monument.

[Drew Franklin]

Former home of the Claw law office. Come and stay here.

[Matt Jones]

For me. Do we have. This is really more Braves country than Reds, right? How many Braves fans here? How many Reds? Okay, so split. Most people seem agnostic, but if you're a Reds fan, to me, Ryan, this is the weekend that decides whether or not I give up on the tall. Here we go.

[Shannon the Dude]

Here we go again.

[Drew Franklin]

Hosting the Cubs for three game series.

[Matt Jones]

Cubs have a five and a half game lead on it. We at least got to win two of three. We can't slip farther behind them. Or it may just be time to say that's it. You gotta win at least two out of three this weekend at home against the Cup.

[Drew Franklin]

And what are the reds? They've lost 12 their last 15 or something. Is that right?

[Matt Jones]

You don't. No, we won five in a row just a little while back.

[Shannon the Dude]

They're only one game behind.500. I mean they're.

[Drew Franklin]

They were really.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, yeah, we won five. And Hunter Green comes back tonight. He. He, he pitches tonight. So that's good. But. But I do think, Ryan, this is a big series for us against the Cubs. I'm going tonight to the game.

[Drew Franklin]

Huge series. Because you lose this when you're down eight games and they're out 100 more games.

[Shannon the Dude]

Only 60 games into this.

[Drew Franklin]

Done. Red stink. They're like your canes. They stink.

[Matt Jones]

Yeah, the canes have stunk. I don't want to talk about that. We will take a break, come back our number two here in Pineville. This is Kentucky Sports Radio.

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