FINAL 4 Recap. Florida wins the Natty!! Arguments about who was really the best team, NIL and whether players play for the name on the front of the jersey anymore. And DERBY is coming!!!!

FINAL 4 Recap!!!

The Florida Gators win the National Championship!!!

Florida beats Auburn in Final 4 behind Walter Claytons 30 points!!!

Duke collapses in Final Four loss to Houston!!

Despite outplaying Florida for the majority of the game, Houston blows a double digit lead in the 2nd half and Florida claims the title!!!

Charlie and Anthony preview Kentuckys current roster as it stands with our returning players, incoming freshman and incoming transfers!!

Anthony thinks Duke was by far the best team.

Charlie thinks Anthony is crazy. 

 More NIL talk!!!

And more arguing about if players play for the name on the front of the jerseys anymore??

PLUS

DERBY is approaching fast!!!

Transcript

Charlie (00:27)
All right, guys, welcome back to another episode of the Blitz of the Bookie podcast. I'm Charlie Winkle. And if you listened to last week's episode, you know that Anthony was down in Mexico trying to become a real life cowboy. blitz the book. He had their first guest host, Josh O'Nan, came and sat in with me. I do want to thank Josh again.

think it went really good and can't wait to get Josh back in here in the near future. But there was a little bit of concern in the Blitz the You know, I had been getting some texts from Anthony throughout the week telling me how he was just killing the bull riding and how he was born to be a cowboy. So we were worried that Anthony might just not come back from Mexico.

I don't know if he got tired of the chalupas and the Mexican rice and was just craving a good old American hamburger, or if you realized the Derby was coming up in the next few weeks, or maybe he was just lying with the text and maybe he fell off that bull a few too many times, but Anthony is back in the States. He is in the studio with me today. So Anthony, we're going to get into...

the final four and all the basketball, but I do want to hear about your to Mexico. I do have two questions. One, you're born and raised in Kentucky and you got to go all the way to Mexico to learn how to be a cowboy. I thought that was supposed to go the other way around. Ain't people supposed to come to Kentucky to learn how to be a cowboy? We ride horses, not bulls. Hey, that is right. But the question everybody wants to know.

You said eight seconds was bullshit. You said you were going to set a new standard. So did you become the Rick Pitino of bull riding? Did you last 15 seconds on the bull? learned some Spanish while he was going to, I'd like to like take a second to thank Josh for coming on. That was big. We didn't know what we were going to do.

Charlie was able to get Josh to come on. I listened to it. Josh thought you did a great job, man. You know, it was awesome to hear a new voice we talked about it all week. People when they listen to podcast or radio, there's just different personalities they like. So I think it's good to have different personalities on but thank you for coming on and helping Charlie out with that I was trying to become a bull rider.

And had a really good time, time I've been out of the country, we go to the beach every year, but we go to Panama City and I'm not talking South America. We go to Panama City, Florida, but my daughter was graduating. So we did a trip to Mexico for spring break. So we get down there, weather's beautiful. I'm a little leery of going out of the country because I've heard stories or whatever, but they're kind of over exaggerated far as Cancun goes. get down there.

and they're having these bull riding things every night at this steakhouse they had at the resort. steakhouse was called Wayne's Boots. We went down there to There was about 12 guys that was lined up to go on the bull. I'll be honest with you, Charlie. I know you joke about me going down there to learn bull riding, but I was kind of intimidated to get up there. lot of young guys, I'm 43.

a lot of guys that were like 24, 25, a couple of college football players were up there. I felt like I was going to get embarrassed a little bit. Too old for this stuff. know, coaching me. I was watching them. I was kind of analyzing what they were doing. And I felt like they were just going up there like a bunch of wild riding them. Which I mean, they were trying.

was second to last to go and nobody had lasted. Nobody last the night before, the night So what was they going? seconds? Three seconds? Yeah, I mean, there were no seconds, I didn't even know what the end looked nobody had lasted, honest to God. I mean, it was the craziest thing. Dude, I just knew. And I'd rolled one of these at Coyotes back in the you know, when it was, there was three bars there. It was O'Malley's, Coyotes, and

another one and I was dog drunk that night and you need your senses. You definitely need your senses. You know you do. It's not something you want to do while you're drinking. I think that's one thing that I hadn't drank a lot probably in like three or four hours. I took a shower. I took like a nap before we ate dinner. So I thought- prepared. It helped me, but I got up there I had comfortable clothes on. knew I might be bull riding. So-

I had some just underarm or real thin shorts, like running shorts and a dry fit shirt. It was vacation. We were just very laid back that night. And I got up on the bull and I knew, I've always thought, do floors for 11. I get up and down a lot. get my legs wrapped around him. That was the first key. I want to get my legs wrapped around the bull and locked in. And I'd always watch them bull riders on TV and they lean back. knew to keep my core good and just have my senses.

Dude, I went the like 30 seconds. He did a count. Like I just kept going. He did like a 10 second countdown. So you did go 15 seconds. Dude, I went like 30 seconds. Damn! I felt like I was young and I won something. Cause nobody else did it for like three nights. dude, everybody was cheering. It was the coolest. It's harder than it looks. I'll say that it's harder. Cause that bull's going different ways. Dude, I felt like.

know, bud off urban cowboy. You already got a standing ovation and everything. Dude, I did. I did. was the I got off and I was dizzy. I was dizzy when I got off. couldn't see straight. And then I thought I had a championship steak waiting on me because our food came out at that point. The food wasn't that good on the resort. It was one of them all-inclusives and it was average at best. thought, man, I'm go over and eat my championship steak. And then the steak had about 50 % fat on it. So.

Well, Josh said there's somebody that's controlling that bull. Yeah. Was there somebody? Yeah. Well, it's yeah. Kind of. Yeah, there is. There is somebody kind of. So he said there's a place downtown Louisville here that has a PBR. I guess it's like a true simulation. I they're all kind of like I've seen them too. Yeah. Like cause there's a stick so they can get as crazy as they want to get. And you're in Mexico. So I think they don't do these a lot because you probably have to sign a lot of waivers.

In Mexico, you don't gotta sign nothing. You're not suing nobody, so you're not signing nothing. We had a great time. The weather was I will say this, compared to Panama City, It was gorgeous. It was pretty. The ocean, right there on the Caribbean. You're probably about 50 miles from Cuba It's beautiful. I would not get in the ocean. The waves are way too violent. didn't go to your knees.

Charlie it wasn't going like going to Florida. I the good way Yeah, but you die like you can't go you can't go out in that kind of waves Charlie You can't I mean you die like couldn't have been that big. Yeah, they were big They were that wind was blowing quite 30 miles an hour every day 20 They say it's like all the time down there. You're there anybody in the water to the knees man Nobody went far out nobody even though so there was a beach access to like the locals you could see from the top of our resort they didn't go out the surfers did if they had a surfboard they would go out there was big waves like that Yeah, it was yeah

It was. I go to Florida, we've been to Clearwater four times, went over to Atlantic. I've went to Dominican Republic, they weren't like, no, not at all. Well, wind. Actually, it was really calm in the Dominican Republic. There was barely any waves. Yeah, maybe it's the part of the ocean they're on. it was super windy. you was in Hawaii or some shit. Yeah, it was super windy. Matter of fact, there was a part where the resort opened like the bottom of the resort opened up to the back area where the pool was and the ocean was.

And it was like a, it was a huge area, but it was like a wind tunnel, that wind coming out the ocean So the food, that was probably my biggest complaint. And they had all these fancy looking restaurants there and it was just all average. It was probably cause it was all inclusive. You had to go get you a real chalupa somewhere. We got off property. We said we weren't going to do it. I talked to some people. They said, as long as you stay on that Cancun strip and you don't go across the bridges,

Once I did it, I would agree with that statement. As long as you stay on that strip, federales are everywhere. But we went out to a really nice the food was awesome. So it a Mexico thing. It was an all occlusive thing. They probably just buy cheap food, I guess. I know. But it looks nice. It looks nice. The restaurants look nice. It's just the quality. So you went to a real Mexican restaurant? Yeah. But it was like a deal. It right on the ocean.

Probably one of the top five steaks I've eaten. It don't touch that one I ate over at the boat. I still say it's the best steak I ever ate. What's that plate? Gordon I've had it some nice restaurants. Gordon Ramsay's steaks was the best one I ever had. put it in my top five and the food was good and it was good experience. I learned about like kind of transferring pesos. I got hustled there for about 15, 20%, but it was a learning lesson. you go to Mexico and you're only property.

Get pesos because if not, you got to pay a transfer rate at where everybody takes us cash, but they'll hit you for like 1520 % for them to kind of transfer it over. You're smart if you go and do that while you're at the airport or something like that. It's a lot cheaper that way. they try to get as many of those of those us dollars as they can. Yeah, so I thought you know you go to Mexico you get those cheap prices. The only way you get the cheap prices is if you leave the strip, but if you leave the strip you also.

leave security. But there are people that do it. Like there's people that stay in and stuff over there, off the strip, which I think is absolutely crazy. But that's when you get into the really cheap pricing customs going over there. they're setting you up to rob you and kidnap. Yeah, no doubt. The customs going over there. They said if you're American, they want to always search. I didn't know if that was true or not.

That was right, But as we were going back into America, that's where you get it. They was honest. They they dogs. Every, I mean, it was a whole other section of the airport and they were, yeah, they were on their game. So one other thing.

I've been scared in my life. told you, we almost drowned about four or five years ago, me and my son in the ocean. That was pretty scary I've had some other scary moments, but I'll definitely say a top five scariest moment of my life. We got in right before them storms came in last week and we were landing and there was like 35 mile an hour winds. They had talked about it when we left Orlando Landing in Louisville was going to be a sketchy situation because of the 35 mile an hour winds. When you're up top, you're up over.

You you're up over it. And then they say going up and going down is the worst, but they say landing is worse than going up. When we came down, I was kind of worried about it. I've been, I probably have flown 30 times. I ain't like a regular flyer, but I got enough experience where I felt turbulence. I felt some bad turbulence once, but it didn't freak me out too bad. I was shaken, dude. I was shaken. There was a lot of people shaken. A lot of people upset. There was one guy laughing.

if you fall from 35,000 feet. it's over. It's game over. it's Charlie. have any control though. You don't, but I mean, it's still making no better. No. Charlie, I want to tell you, you know, usually the captain comes on and say, Hey, we'll be arriving in Louisville in 20 minutes. the weather's this, Dude, you knew it was different because the guy, said it real quick, and he was off there.

And I, I, well, he wasn't ready in the land yet, but he was getting ready to, and I seen the, you know, it was just a different situation. I've ever been on the plane. And when we were going down, I felt probably about six or seven times. It's rocking back and forth. And I know if he gets too much to the side, he's going to lose. It's not a jet. You're not going to gain back control. And I mean, like six times he was almost on the side. I mean, I know it probably wasn't that bad.

Man, it felt bad when we landed. We kind of skirted across it wasn't just a regular landing. it kind of hopped to the side. I mean But I tell you this once we saw those people freaking out. yeah, it was people up really upset I mean I was upset dude. I'll be honest with you. My family's up there with me charlie I feel like I had I still think I had about a five or ten percent chance of dying like I just did which is too much Being this lady when it was over we were like in happiness she said something and I said I was thinking the same thing once we were

about 200 feet from landing. I was almost relieved then, because I thinking, I can survive this. I can survive this. We might go to survive Well, I kept thinking, like, I looked down as we started to get out of the clouds. I'm like, we can't fall from here, We can't fall from here. You don't want to fall out of the sky. So one other thing I thought was cool. So we were about halfway. I knew we weren't to the Keys yet. I see land out the side.

said, Katie, the only thing that can be is Cuba. I know my geography. I said, it's only thing that's there. Of course, to my wife, that means nothing. me, I thought you had to get permission to fly over Cuba through the things that went on. so anyhow, we get there. pilot as we're leaving, I said,

was that Cubase said, yeah, he said, used to be they had to get permission. Now they just stay on the West side of it. So we went over that. I've seen that from there. And I also flew over the keys and took pictures from there. So I've seen the keys from there, which there's probably thousands of islands. I thought there was just a handful of islands. There's thousands of islands. Of course, there's so many big ones, but it was pretty cool to see that from the air. That's a good fly in a little scenic. No, so I like that kind of stuff. I like that kind of stuff. So that was right up my alley.

So go ahead and tell the audience who you didn't book an interview. Anthony runs into a, call him a, I don't know, celebrity. Big time celebrity, UK basketball. He's a UK guy. Anthony runs into a, I'll let him tell, but. He was in Mexico the whole time I was in Mexico. So. Does not book him for an interview on Blitz the Bookie. No, I didn't. And I'll tell you.

So we were flying in from Mexico, from Mexico to Louisville. when we were on the plane, dude, there was this six foot nine guy, six foot eight. I thought, man, he's a college player. once we got to Florida, he was on the same transfer we were, because he was flying into Louisville. And I seen he had the Pacers. I said, that's who.

That's Wu Kasha Orzu. I wasn't sure because dude, his face looks a little different. He's got facial hair now. He looks a little older. I hadn't seen him in a while. And I just said, Wu. And he looked up man, you talk about a guy that's down to earth. They say he's super Dude, he act like he was my best friend. he just made me feel good. Cause I hollered at him and brought my son over, which is before my son's time. Just super cool, super nice. He had, he still had his pacers.

up on but a super nice super cool you need to remember that you host a podcast Anthony. Yeah, I know I know you need to remember That you host a podcast in Kentucky. Yeah, I don't know. Hey, we could have a good guest So Katie kept saying to me, how's he fitting in those seats,

in the fire lane. Do know where the legs are a little There's no way he could have fit in the other ones, I don't think. I say that. stuff. That could have been our first, maybe it could have been our second interview. Yeah. No.

All right. So was some basketball. There was a weekend. Good. So you got back. Would you get back Thursday, Friday? I know you and Josh covered them, but we watched the lead eight eight, sweet 16, I guess more of a lead eight games. Yeah. Would y'all get down there Saturday? No, we get, yeah, we got down there Saturday. Yeah. So that was the lead eight. Sweet 16 was a Thursday, Friday. So

Final four, all number ones for just the second time. talked about that last week, but did you know that? First time since 08. And that not only was number ones, they were all one twos besides one, and it was a one three. And I would argue to say that the other two, St. John's, people argue this and that's fine. I would say Texas Tech was probably

a more deserving team than St. John's, looking back at it. And I say that, that might not be true, but I'm just saying, the team that wasn't there as a two seed was probably the right team, if you were to guess, if I was anyways, to guess one. it wasn't just the one seed. I think everybody's talking about that and we had that in 2008, but it was all one twos and then there was one one three.

thought the best four teams were in the final four. Yeah, we're in agreement there. Yeah, yeah. It's best four teams were in the final four. I think so. I really do. I mean, listen, so we don't y'all hear us. Me and Charlie argue all time and we argue when we're not on here. We like sports. That's why we do it. I don't want to yes, sir. For it. I just don't want I want people to tell me the truth and I want to argue if I don't agree. But we do agree with that. Right, Charlie? The best four teams were there. That's what I think. I think so, too.

And I think all four of them had a legit shot to win it all. I agree with that. And we are actually going to not right now, but we're going to, after we recap the games, we did in college football this year, Charlie, going to do a post season top 10, not of where they finished, because at that point it wouldn't, you would just write that down, but where we think top to bottom, the best teams were after watching the tournament in the season, re-ranking them.

Well, if there was a tournament tomorrow, I'll just tell you Kentucky, we beat the national champions. That's right. I mean, we're one and oh, I guess national champs. So I say Kentucky's number one. I got, they're in my top team. They're number one, man. We beat the national champs. All right. So first game of the final four was Florida and Auburn

close game, 79-73 ended up final score. Florida pulled it out. That was a hell of a game. It was a hell of a game. mean, Florida pulled away like few points there at the end. I know Auburn had a 10 point lead for about five to 10 minutes of the game, but look, that was a heck of a game. I think the better team won. I bet Florida that night, probably was pulling a little bit more for Auburn because I had a future that I was still hoping for, but they would have had to win one more game, which I could have hedged.

But I did like Florida minus the two and a half points in that game. I didn't love them because I did think Auburn was gonna, I thought Auburn had a pretty good chance of beating them just because I thought they were hungry. I think they got Auburn's A game. I really do. I like Auburn. Bruce Pearl. And I like the Bloom kid, the real good kid for Auburn. I love him. He's crafty. He's not a freak athlete.

Like our boy, he fatigues. Did you pay attention to that? And he's a great player, but he fatigues. He don't have the stamina of some of yeah, I think if he did have the stamina, they might, they probably would have won the game, but that was his Achilles heel. feel like, and he still was a damn good player. stamina started going down too when you turned 32, didn't Dude's 33 years old. He's been in college for about 14 years. He's still getting COVID years.

Most craftiest transfer craftiest player in college basketball. Man, that guy's crafty. You know, he, ain't no freak athlete, but he's got all kinds of little moves down there and he's got a good touch. the best player in that game was Walter Clay. 34 points, 11 for 18 from the field, five for eight from three. was his second consecutive 30 point game. first player to have two plus point games.

that late in the tournament since Larry Bird. So you hear me talk all the time about NIO and budgets and you got to spend your money of these teams spend all kinds of money and some of them don't win. Some of them do win. It seems like teams that are winning are spending money, but Florida did not have, I mean, they have a good NIO budget, but it wasn't crazy, but they hit the NIO lottery when they got Walter Clayton. he was a good transfer, but I don't think he was a huge transfer. In my opinion, he might've been the best college

I don't think he's the best player. think Cooper flag is the best players in the turn. Clayton might be the best college player I like Clayton a lot and I like bloom and I think Cooper flag is the best player But I think Clayton maybe is the best college player. Does that make sense what I'm saying? Yeah, there's a difference between there guy like a Cooper flag that we know is gonna go to the NBA and just a really good college basketball player and he's a freshman by the time if you gave him it'd be scary to see a Cooper flag

with four or five years of college. That'd be scary, because the kid, he's legit. He's legit, especially for a freshman, he's legit. You were telling me reclassified, right Charlie? Yeah, he's still supposed to be in high school right now. Him and the African kid. to you. Would he reclassify too? he just turned 18 years old. so our mutual friend Barry's kid, Levi, told me he just turned 18. he still got baby fat on his face.

That kid seven two, he might be the next Shaquille O'Neal. He's got the frame. way. Dude, he's got the frame, Charlie. Charlie, I'm not saying he's there yet. He's not there yet. He is so raw, but he has the frame and he's athletic to be that big. Most of those big guys ain't athletic like that, but he's got the big shoulders, the big arm. He's got like a like a nine foot something reach, His arms are like tentacles and he's got the big shoulders. some of those guys don't have the frame to put on that kind of weight. He's got that kind of frame.

I can't wait to see the next Shaq, but I don't think I'd I didn't even think we'd ever see another one, but I'm just telling you. He don't seem that big to me. He's 7'2", with like a nine I know he's tall as hell, but he don't seem like- just look at him. You can see the baby he's a monster of a man in his athletic. when Shaq first got to LSU, he was kind of lean. Oh, he wasn't nowhere near what he ended up being, he was kind of lean.

But he was still tell he wasn't skinny by any means. Well, I'll tell you this. You could tell he was going to be a big guy. you can tell this guy is this guy's reach is unbelievable. I told everybody all year, even if he didn't block your shots, sometimes he didn't get the block, but you knew he was there You seen guys shooting the ball higher up off the rim. you can tell how raw he is. He just don't even really know the game yet. I ain't never seen him dribble.

Maybe he has, I don't know. He's just learning. you ever seen the air up there? I know, I just need to The Jimmy Dolan Shake and Bake. That's who I feel like the movie, I feel like this is the was that guy's name in that Jimmy Dolan Shake and Bake. He went to Africa. I always thought that movie was based off of King, but he went to Africa the guy and the tribe. seen videos of him.

and when they were recruited. You remember that movie? I remember the movie. I don't remember the names. I'd like to watch that one again. It's been a long time since I've seen that one. be something to watch him develop because I know an athlete when I see one. I know somebody that has just a crazy athletic ability and frame. That kid's got So it was the Walter Clayton show. It was. He's good. He took over. other kid for...

Florida, the Hulk, the big white boy with the mullet. Dude, he's pretty, I can't stand him, but he is good. He's so effective. He's effective. he had 12 and seven. That kid came along in the end of the You know, everybody, he got way better at the end of the year. I was hearing his name a lot in the last month. He's good. He played good in the sec tournament and he played good in the NCAA

I thought he was kind of a little bit of a game changer there. an emotional leader. He's an emotional guy. gets you pumped up. you know, they're all getting this NIL money and making big money. Tell me that he didn't take, if I was him, I would have took my money, brought me like a Firebird, a 1980s Firebird and a whole bunch of beer. Tell me he didn't like he was out in 1980s driving a Firebird. I mean, Chandler, Colin Chandler kind of looks like that too.

that dude looked like he was straight from the it was a... the kid though. I did too. I did too. think his name's Hauk. It's like H-A-U-G-H, but I think they say Hauk, but I like that kid. Very but in a positive way. Like he was a, he was an energy guy. So Florida advances and then we had Duke. And we all know the story here. Duke.

big lead most of the game up 14 with eight minutes left. They, you know, they had only had one field goal in the last 10 and a half minutes of the game. And that was that three flag don't know what maybe like three or four minutes left. That was the only field goal they had in the last 10 and a half minutes of the game.

I mean, I knew they were like struggling to score. I knew I could see the comeback happening. But when I heard that stat after the game, I really didn't realize that they had only scored, had one bucket there in the last 10 and a half minutes. I'll tell you this. I'd already was pretty high thinker, Duke, especially after they ran by through Alabama. They ran through everybody in the tournament. They beat Alabama by 20.

And when I watched about the first, like within 10 points, I told Barry our friend, said, dude, I would give minus $2 right now for Duke to win the national title. and they only had like a two or four point, I could just see it. I could see that they were so much taller and bigger, just, they look like professionals out there at the time. And you would have told me Anthony at that moment.

I think they had like a four or six point lead, but I just seen it. They'd ran through everybody else. I just knew they were going to be Houston. could see they were going to be Houston. If you would have said, Hey Anthony, you want a thousand dollar bet, but it only pays six or 700. I would have took it all day long at that moment. doubt. No doubt. I'll say this.

I end up kind of pulling for Houston in the championship game, but not quite. It was kind of a mix, I appreciate their coach. I like his defensive style. You know, I'm old school. I like Hillman Pearl. I like them old school in your, I don't really like the new age coaches, I'm not into Florida's coach. only reason I like Pope's cause he's our coach and I will support him a thousand percent, but I'm an old school guy. I hope those guys make a

But that's my style. If you've listened to the show, you know that's my style. But in saying that, just thought they didn't have a chance. But I pulled for them in that game, but I didn't think they had a chance to win that And they came back and Duke just went ice cold. They missed the front end of one-on-one. At one point, I think they had like a seven or eight point lead and they missed two offensive rebounds that they...

that could have just went their way but bounced out. And I feel like if they didn't have those, I don't think they could have won it. a lot of things went wrong for Duke to lose, but guess what? That's why the tournament is so special. I think Duke beats them eight times out of 10, maybe nine times. I believe that. I know you probably don't, but I believe that. But with March Madness, it's not like the NBA where it's the best of five. You beat somebody one time and they go home. And that's what happened. I do think Duke was the best team. I think Duke was the best team in the country by a decent amount. But that night,

They went I disagree. I got you in the best, the best team. I Duke was probably better than Houston, that I think they maybe win six out of 10, maybe seven. say, Hey, I said nine might be too many, but for me, eight, would feel confident with six or seven. Okay. Tough. There's some dogs. We texted about it.

especially in the championship game. but Duke get to the Duke handled on I do shot 30 minutes. Houston shot their ass off against Duke. If Houston shoots like that against anybody else, they blow them out. They shot good in the second. It don't matter. Their percentage was almost 50 % for the game. One point line shot 37 % from the field. That's not good. Yeah. But I'm not saying I'm saying from the three point line. that's the three pointer. Well, in the second half, they must've shot 60 or 70 % from the second half. They probably did. They were shooting like dog shit in the first half.

until they three big threes late in the first half that really kind of kept them in the game. if they didn't those three threes. They might've got blown out. Duke was handling them. They were, they looked like by far the better team for 30 minutes, shoot 10 to 21 threes on anybody else with that defense. Cause I was impressed with that defense and how much they just got after it. But if they shoot 10 to 21 from threes on anybody else,

Nobody's even rolling with them and Duke probably still should have beat them. I think Duke was really good, dude. I really do. I'm not saying they weren't. They through everybody. They beat the shit out of Baylor. They beat the shit out of Alabama. I never seen nobody do at the Alabama this year. Well, what they haven't seen is a like what they saw. with that. There's no doubt in the last 10 minutes they were beat. They won a game for minutes, but they lost the last time they got beat. So it was a collapse by Duke.

and we talked about this off air. the same thing happened in Houston. Duke collapsed against Houston and Houston collapsed against Florida. But when I say collapse, I don't mean that Duke just shot herself in the foot in every single way. Houston deserves credit as does Florida for coming back and the championship. You know, I, I, I showed you that it's both ways. was on Duke's.

There's no doubt about it. They were 14 with eight, eight minutes left. agree. Take the names off of it and just say a team was up 14 with eight minutes left and got beat. You're going to say it was a collapse, but I'm not taking nothing away from Houston. They're dogs on defense and they hit their free throws. I love to sit here and dog the shit out of, out of Duke. Cause I was so happy. They got beat. I hate, I hate Duke. I was so happy. They got beat.

I do think, and me and Josh talked about this, the Duke Florida game would have been the best the matches I agree with that. I agree with that. I think that would have been the best matchup. Maybe. I think, so you'll see when I do rank my teams later, I think Florida, I'm going to rank, and I ain't going to like spoil my little ranking, but I think Florida and Houston, they played 10 times. I think it goes five and five. I really do. I think it goes five and five. I think they're very equal teams.

I'm just saying entertaining wise, the Duke Florida game. Yeah. You think about what that game would have been. Yeah, it would have been, it would have been. I agree with that. I agree with that. Think about all the matchups that we could have seen. we kind of thought that that would be the best one. We didn't get to see it. And I thought the championship game ended up being pretty good. I, it was a good, talk about it. It was a good game. But look, as much as I would love to sit here and just dog on Duke,

They were a really good team and I do think they were probably a little bit better than Houston. Do you think they were the But it don't matter. I agree. I agree. That's what makes the tournament exciting. But I'd argue to say this is just right off the hip. So don't like beat me up on it, but I'm going to say whatever it is. I'm going to beat you up. I know.

I'm going to say 30 % of the time, the best team wins a third. That's probably pretty close. What the whole thing and the whole thing you're playing at, you're playing a 60, 14, you know, think about it like us playing baseball, a 60, 14, single elimination tournament, maybe 40 % against all good teams. think 40 might be high, but I might be wrong too. Four out of 10. We'd have to look back. We can, we can look back and pretty much kind of

Well, sometimes there's not that for sure. Like best team, who the best team is, is, is very subjective. you, could argue that all day, unless you got a team like a undefeated Kentucky team in 2000. we were the best team. But what was the best team when they got beat by Michigan state? I hate that. lot of times though, it's not exactly, there's one team that stands out. So that's something that can be argued.

I'm tubby years when we had the number one overall seed a couple of times. I thought we were the best team those years. I really did. The John Wall year. thought we were the best team that year. That's what makes the tournament great. It sometimes it's good for you and sometimes it sucks for you, but you don't want to change it though, cause it is the most exciting tournament in sports. mean, yes, I think in the NBA, the best of five or seven, the better I like, cause the better team wins it. And I like the better team winning, but you just can't change it. Cause it's too good of a tournament. All right. So before we jump off of this game. All right.

I do have to bring it up.

How many games Duke lose this year? What is it? Three or four? They lost to Kentucky, to Clemson. They lost to, they lost another non-conference. ACC was weak. They lost another non-conference game early in the year. then they beat Auburn. They lost four games. They beat Auburn. But. They lost four look, I'm not a Duke guy, Charlie. You know that. Now I did.

end up liking their team at the end. Cause I really just, like Knipple and I liked Cooper. So, but that went into the very end. Once Kentucky was out, and I really didn't like them. just, I really thought they were good. You know, I try to pick against Florida and Duke, but really thought they were the two best teams going into the tournament. but I was trying to beat them,

You know the take up for Duke against Auburn in Kentucky and it's a knock in Kentucky or Auburn But both of our teams were older teams. We talked about this early in the season Duke They beat Auburn. They lost us a team like Duke was going to get better They were one of the few teams we've seen over the past five years that was able to do it with freshmen their three main players were freshmen you knew they were going to get better as the season went on listen, I love love our team. I don't think we wanted none

None of Duke. late in the year, late in the year, I don't think we wanted none of them. You ain't even let me ask my question. You just start defending Duke. My bad. My bad. You just start, you just start defending Duke. Cause we've been arguing about it, Charlie. You know, we have, we've been arguing. Don't act like that. This is just in the blind. We've been arguing about this on the phone and stuff. you don't even know what I'm going to ask. Okay, go ahead. Cause actually I went into it thinking about one thing. So now I got two questions. One is, okay, Duke lost four games. Okay. All right.

and you know, I even said this like two weeks ago, that maybe Duke was just on another level that that week schedule didn't, didn't affect them. Okay. Cause we talked about the other teams in in the ACC, Louisville and Clemson. And they bowed out early. And I do think that the week schedule they played had something to do with that. Now I was on the boat there for a minute. Maybe Duke is just on another level and that

Week schedule didn't affect them because they're just that good. I think they were I know they me maybe they are but Who else did they play in the tournament they who they Who'd they beat right before they played Houston? I'm Alabama. Okay, so besides maybe I didn't just beat Alabama beat the hell out of the beat the hell out of Baylor Baylor was playing good basketball at that point besides

the tournament games, they beat Auburn, didn't they?

I'm pretty sure they did. They lost to Kentucky beat Auburn, think. I'm almost sure. They lost to Clemson.

got beat by Kansas. They lost to Kentucky and Houston. Yes, they did play Auburn early in the year and they beat them 84-78. So they did have a big win against Auburn. But so I would argue to say they're one in like maybe two. All right. So I give them the Alabama win. They beat Alabama, Arizona and Bailey. Dude, they're 50-50 and they're 500 at

best against good Arizona. They beat Arizona. thought Arizona was really good this year. I know that they had, they hadn't seen a, tough ass team like they saw Houston right there. Yeah, but they don't make, and we talked about this and I do agree with that trail. You know, I do. I don't think much of the ACC. they caught Kentucky third game of the season. They caught Arizona fifth game, Kansas six game. And, guess that's where all teams are playing their good non-conference games. they had a team full of freshmen playing most of these teams now, especially this year with the COVID year.

You're playing boys 2425 years old that was an advantage early for any and not just Kentucky, but anybody that versus Duke, which their three main players were freshmen. Well, the real question is.

Four losses, four chances at the end of the game for one Cooper To win all four of those games. don't want to say, maybe he had some game winners throughout the year or, or I don't know. Did they have any really close games other than those four? But I know he had four chances. I hate it for the kid to even have to even. I hate that for him because that talking about it and.

But it is a narrative because he had four chances to win four big games and comes up and on all four of them. Does that? No, I take nothing from that. If he was nothing at all. If that was my team and we was playing a big game tomorrow, I'd give it right back to him. And I would too. But guess what? Is that a train? Nope. It's not a train. It just sometimes you don't. It becomes a trend at some point. I'm not saying you're wrong.

I'm not saying you're wrong, but it for, for a small sample I thought he got a good shot off, against a real, I'm going to tell you this. I will say this about the boy he needed to make it. I was so impressed with uses defense. So impressed.

I seen him take Clayton out of the game early and frustrate him. And even though he ended up with 11, I still didn't think he did nothing special. He got a couple of things going late, which his team needed. So it was timely. they made him look bad at times in that game. I never seen Houston able to do that to Cooper Flag. I feel like he broke those. Dude, Cooper Flag's the truth. Cooper Flag's on another level. Dude, he's the truth. He's the truth. He's the best player in college basketball. He might be the best player I've seen in a long time. Because you're the best player does not make you.

You know, it's just four games though. I mean, it's not like you're not going to have to answer four missed opportunities. There's no way I can make that kid answer for that. After I've watched him do what he's done for that team to answer for it right now. I'm just saying he's got their people are talking about. He's 18. Like you said, he reclassified. Maybe to learn a boy that was 17 years old or just turned 18, a plan against guys that are 25.

and still making the best defense in the country look bad? Give me him all day long, he'll get better at that. He'll realize what he gots to do in those situations. know, Pope got him early. He said he was going to spin. He knew that. Pope did his homework, okay? But you don't think Cooper learned from that? this is his first year of college basketball. He's a year ahead of time, far as even being in college. Listen, I ain't seen a player that good in a long time. When is the last player as good as Cooper Flagg in college?

Dude, he's good. He can pass. He even plays defense. He's the best white boy that I can remember in a long, long time. Maybe ever. Is he the best college white boy ever? modern era? don't know. Who's the best college white boy? Van Horn. Tyler Hansborough. Van Horn was pretty good. Even though you don't want to admit it, mean, numbers-wise and shit, Tyler Hansborough just killed it for like three or four years.

Big country Kansas. No, I'm just good Wally Wally was good Wally was good. Wally was good. It was not as athletic as Cooper flag Wally was really good Grayson Allen was pretty good Grayson but he ain't nowhere near mean we're talking white boys here. There's only so many of us Yeah, but we can name a bunch of white boys from Duke that he ain't nah. Was how good was love in college McDermott?

Yeah, he was good, but not nowhere near his athletic Cooper flag Cody Zeller was remember Cody Zeller. I you there was like 27 zealers I know but the one was pretty good. There's a bunch of he was good, Cooper flag might be the best white boy. I think he is I mean he is Larry Bird if we going back that far he played for Indiana State Yeah, dude, I'm we going back, you know a guy said this to her bird is the best white boy ever So I don't know if we're gonna call him Larry Bird yet, but the games are set in 1979

So a guy said this to me. It was a bunch of white boys playing back end. The game was full of white boys back end. A guy said this to me the other day. So I'm not going to take credit for it. I want to give him credit for it. he said this and I thought, man, I think you're right. Larry's game and Cooper's game is very similar. they're both great passers.

They're both can create as much as Larry. don't think quite as athletic as him. Maybe Larry's a little Larry was a beast in his younger days. I what I think what makes no super athlete, but he, wasn't just a, I that. agree with that. would Larry would dunk on you in his early days. would. I don't think he was quite as good as taking the guy off the, he was good at taking the guy off the dribble. Cooper's really much of the game. No, it wasn't. She was Jordan, but Cooper is a great passer and he, Cooper's are.

Probably pass it might be the best part of his game. Some of them passes he comes up with and I'll say this You don't see me the white boys. can just take guys off the dribble and especially that's that long He's gonna get stronger. He looks kind of weak in the arms, He's only gonna get stronger I'm gonna tell you the best thing about Cooper flag. Yeah, he makes everybody around him everybody on his team better No doubt. No doubt. He seriously does. No, he does He does all the right stuff watching without the ball. He moves without the ball Any place defense?

He plays D. Did Wally play D? Probably not. Not like that. No. Guys there are them high level scores. None of the guys we named are even close to Cooper Flag, to be honest, except Larry Burton. Most of your high level scores don't play defense. Because they put so much energy into offense. And for him to get harassed by Houston all game, and he was playing tough defense himself, I got to tip my hat to the like, yeah, they didn't win. But he really impressed me. I watched him throughout the tournament. I didn't watch him a lot during the year.

I heard the hype, but when I watched I was just impressed. I've liked probably three to five Duke players ever. I like this kid a lot. I'm just trying to mess with him because he wears is the four missed opportunities at the end of the game? Does that really say something? Maybe, I'm not saying it does or it doesn't. We'll see over time. If he's a clutch player, I mean, he's going to have plenty of opportunities. I do think it's.

little something to talk about, but I like the kid. He's the best player in the country. He's the best white voice. It's Larry bird. tell us if we're missing somebody, if it was your team and had all the best players in college basketball, Clayton and I liked Clayton a lot. my opinion, second best player in college basketball might be the best college player, but if I had one player that I wanted to create his own shot at the end of the game,

seen Houston, I felt like was on clamps. they couldn't do that to I watched him break them down a few times with his dribble. And the kid exerted a lot of energy in that game and he still was competing. So tip my hat to him. But I get what you're saying about the Duke thing. I'm kind of with you. And I'm hearing that a Cooper flag might come back for a second year. I would be crazy. Absolute bullshit.

I don't think he's coming back, but I have heard a couple of about that. So you were telling me about as I put that at about less than a 1 % chance that that happens. That's just my opinion. With NIL now, said this year you read that his valuation, the estimates are, which none of it's official, that maybe earned about 4.8 million. The price of poker in NIL is going up pretty big this year. And then with him coming back in there, he might be a $8, $9 million guy. I mean,

Is that more than your NBA rookie contract? is getting seven, would say Cooper flag will be worth more than that, right? Yeah. But I guess it's just, would Duke pay I don't know. And, and look, this matter of fact, let's, let's go ahead and talk about this right here. This is a great example. And I know we won't get deep into this because we, I want to get to this championship game, but we've had the argument before and we were just talking about it that you think it's a lot about the money, right?

I feel very strongly about that. Okay, so let's just say that Cooper Flagg is making five million. Not the changes, but just so I know we're going to go into this, but so we know the year in the NBA, the max the number one player can make 10 million a year. All right, so let's say Cooper Flagg made five million this year. Let's say Duke is prepared to, if he comes back...

we'll give you six and a half million. I think it'd be more. think it, and I could be wrong. I'm just throwing numbers Say Duke says, we'll pay you six and a half if you come back for a second year. If the University of Arizona reaches out and says, hey, Cooper, we'll pay you eight and a half million.

Do you think Cooper flag is going to Arizona? Not if he chooses to say to do because at that point he's turning down more money from the NBA to stay but then I think I know where you're going with that and I see that angle but I think it strengthens argument that these guys because I do think you'll go to the NBA so I think he'll turn down seven or eight million from Duke to go to the NBA and make ten but listen I think Cooper's in a difference I get what you're saying I think he's in a different situation because he's a can't miss NBA prospect I think the NIL

and turning down the money. about the NBA for right now. I know, but some of these kids don't have the NBA future. If he's coming back for a second year, is he going back to Duke for six and a half? He's going back to do He's to Arizona for eight and a I think he would go back to in his situation. His situation is unique. Oh, Charlie, that is not it. No, Charlie, you're not winning that argument with me. No way. No, I'm not saying you're not winning amongst our viewers, but I'm saying in my mind, what that tells me is that the name Duke.

No, he's there. He's already to the He's already built his brand. That's going to be small changes of what he eventually makes. He would buy an insurance policy, but you take a kid that borderline NBA. Look, the players, 98 % of the time, would say, if you can be a, maybe 95, but if you can be a first round pick, you go. So we're not going to see those players. So the players that aren't,

They're not even sure if they might if he comes back, I know first round, he'd be first picking the draft. Sure. But, we did see that with the Florida group, but all, all those kids came from money. Noah, not all of them, the one kid didn't, but Noah Horford they went back to and they were all first round, but all those kids actually had wealthy parents. And I think I played a role in it. I do, for the average stuff that plays a role in it. I, and I think part of the stuff, something that plays a role in it is

The school, the coach. I think it, I think it gets you a discount. I've told you that. I think it gets you a discount, but for the kids, especially the non-MBA players. What that proves to me is that a university like, and there's only a probably four or five of them. don't care. Kansas, Carolina, you get the kid in there. I think they care more about the coaches now than they do the university. I think that's why when you see coaches leave, these players follow them. All the players follow the Pope. They followed Cal. They follow these coaches. They play for the coaches now. Once the kid goes and...

plays a full year for the Duke Blue Devils realizes what comes with that, which is probably fucking awesome. I mean, they're gods. It's not worth the money to a guy that don't know he's gonna make that kind of money. Like it's worth a little bit less money, yes. say we're talking just a regular good player, he played for Duke he's a starter and Duke's offering him 800,000.

but say IU comes and offers him 1.7 million. Now that's kind of what some good players in college, not even like the superstars, but that's a guesstimate of kind of what they're making with the payrolls that are out there. You gotta take the, and especially if you don't know if you're like a lottery pick or nothing, you gotta take that amount of money. Like the guy from, the one kid went to BYU. He has to take that money. He can't turn that down, Charlie. All right, so let me put it this way then, okay? So you just said you thought Cooper Flag would go back to Duke.

Instead for the numbers you told me in his situation now his situation is a little unique and I don't think he'll come back but in his Hypotheticals, but his situation is unique. Let's play another hypothetical. Let's play this hypothetical as this year Cooper flag still the same player Okay, but he didn't play for Duke this year. Okay, let's say he played for I Don't know pick a Michigan, okay

Cooper flag went to Michigan this year. Still the same player. Okay. Still as good as he was. Okay. Still made 4.8 million this year at Michigan. Same situation. Michigan comes and says, you come back for a second year. We'll pay you six and a half million. Duke knocks on the door and says, Hey, come over here to Duke. We'll pay you eight and a half. You think he's going to go to Duke in his situation? No, I think he stays in Michigan. His situation. He going.

Duke. No, not in. He's got a different situation. Charlie, I really think them years are over. I do. the prestige of a college, I think, means very little. Maybe that kid that grows up in the state. And I love that. And I love that. But it don't mean nothing. That's why these players follow their coaches, support their coaches. play for the coach, for sure.

Most of them are Troy or the money. I they play money before the coach and then it's the coach before the university He's a bad example because

He's probably already worth millions before he got to Duke. Okay. But your average player more than your average or top 99 % or 98%, that's not them. So say, can nipple then, all right? You can nipple is going to go somewhere else for an extra million or he's going to stay at Duke. But can nipple was a top 10 recruit. Can nipple, Michael, NBA, he might be, I don't know where he is. He might be a NBA lottery I don't know. I'm not going to argue that the money don't mean a lot to these kids because it does. I'm not.

Dumb enough to think that it don't I think it means more of the kids that aren't NBA prospects I actually think the NBA prospects it means less to them than it does the kids that know that man This is my chance to make some money. I actually read something This was about a year or two ago and I'm not saying it was right or wrong I do know that cows team that last year we had a lot of big names They said they that he put that team together for two million now look that we're not going to the cow argument Okay, it ain't about that but

I guess they gave essentially the Cal discount but those kids were those kids were NBA prospects and Cal got them to the NBA and I'd read something this is nothing to do with Cal but they say that the NBA prospects they don't chase the money quite as much because the idea of they're going to the NBA and they want to coach that's going to develop them to go the NBA but you take a player that's just a good college player and is not projected as a big NBA pick

I think they chase the money more because that's their opportunity to get life changing money. And it's getting up to that point where it's life changing money. It just like, wait, we're going to talk about this in a little bit, but he might be getting two or 3 million at UK next year. Is he really an NBA prospect? I don't know. I don't, I mean, it's probably not a big one. I get that the money is a big deal these days because they're all getting paid and as it should be, but

There's no convincing me that just because the money is now legally involved, because let's not pretend that was nowhere near at this level.

Now they can use it as tax write-off and everything. still not convincing me that just because money's involved that nobody cares about universities, nobody cares about the school or the coast. I think you get something to do. we've talked about this, once they get there, they definitely embrace the fan base. There's no doubt. wouldn't you? You're there. If you got a good one, if you got a good fan base. All schools ain't all like that. No, I'm not saying you're wrong, but listen, I love Kentucky. dude, that would be a dream of mine. Just like it'd probably be a dream of yours.

to play for Kentucky. Okay. You know, know, Cal's my guy. Say Cal come calling. Let's use my son because I'm too old, but say Cal come calling my son. I know we have done heard it. You've already said, Rex to you. would an extra 20 grain. No, no, no, no, no, no, wouldn't know. wouldn't. say like, okay, but say, okay, say Rex is just like a top 100 player coming out of high school. Good player. But a lot of those guys don't go to the NBA. And say Kentucky came to him.

and said, Hey Rex, for next year, we'll give you 400 K And Louisville says, we'll pay you a million. I would tell Rex he's a dumb ass to go for the Kentucky. That is life changing money. And I don't care how much you like something, but there is happening does not mean that there's not kids that are still.

going to schools because of the schools. I don't care what you say. kid's not getting paid two million Them schools and fans will kick you to the curve quick. As soon as you don't do something they don't like or you do this or that. That's what that's that's saying though. That's why I would tell my and I think kids realize that now. used to hear Dick Vitell and all them guys. you're getting paid two million and you don't and you go there and don't produce. Yeah, but you make two million. pressure's even more. There ain't no pressure. I would've made two million dollars. When them guys like Dick Vitell

When we were growing up, I used to get on there and I say, stay in school, babe. I used to be, I used to be early, early on. I said, you're an idiot if you stay in school. This was early This was in the, Tim Duncan years and stuff. You're an idiot for staying. That changes generations. family, you know, money changes generations of your family. You can't take that chance. I remember Felipe Lopez, there's been some other names, did come back. I'm sure they got paid a little something.

but they cost herself and guess what? Maybe some people earn more, but I can't risk that because I'm not wealthy yet. There's plenty of plenty of scenarios on both sides. I've heard Shannon Sharp tell the story about Sterling Sharp, his older brother. I've heard that story and I think it was his college coach was telling him that he needed to leave after, don't know, I guess his junior year. Sure. You need to go you're going to be first or second round pick. it's Sterling Sharp said, dude, I've been

I've been poor my whole life. What's one more year? Yeah, but he stayed and then he you know, well if he was a projected first round pick now look it worked out for Shannon I'm happy because you know, I'm for anybody. I think it was actually sterling sharp, but regardless I'm sure but that's what everybody used to say back then and I think it was wrong information I think if you are a first round pick that is wrong if and if you come from an average family especially a poor family, but if you just cut average family a middle-class family that's

Everybody in the family tree has worked a blue collar job or something and their families are making it, but they're barely making it like a lot of people. And you have a chance to go make five, $10 million. One year can set like makes more than I'm going to make in my lifetime. Yeah. But like he said, he's been poor his whole life. What's one more year? They'll be all right. He But why risk it? Why risk

Obviously, maybe I'm the for sure thing. don't know because he wanted to he let's out his college year. That was whatever the reason it worked out for him. It worked out for reasoning was it might have been loyalty. Maybe it was he wanted to stay and finish out his, college career with his teammates. Yeah. Or maybe he listened to live by maybe your standards than just money. Yeah. But that was the old used to act like that. But then people learned

The world's not going to help you when you don't make it. They're not going to pick you up. You got to go make that bag, You got to, you, you absolutely have to. And I don't care how dirty it feels. You gotta go take the money. Yeah. Well, there's always the argument. you got to do it this year. You got to take it when you can get it. Well, the chances are you're not going to freaking die by next year. You're not, but you get, you could fall. get hurt. what? You've been doing whatever it is that you've been doing for however many years and everything's been fine.

And now you're just like, oh, and here in the night, if I go one more year, then I might just get hit by a bus. I might break my knee. Yeah. You could have broke your knee three years ago. But let me use this example. Let me use two examples. I've used this example. know that Dewan Wagner and there's a lot of cases like that. No, actually just lost my train of thought when you said that. But, that is not what I was thinking. That is not. But that's a great example. Yeah, that is. It was great that Cal.

Convinced that kid to go to the NBA because it was the opposite he did get injured or got sick or something happened right and That contract that he got because he left that was one of them scenarios where if he would have stayed he wouldn't have got that contract Listen, that doesn't happen every time. I don't blame the kids when they sit out the bowl games Charlie I don't blame them. I hate it. I hate that it's there for them because it's

It hurts the game that I love, which is college football. I hate it too. Because yeah, I hate it. get it. just like I just said, you've been playing football your whole life. You've played in how many countless practices and games and not got hurt. You're worried about this one game. I can't play in this one game. I'm going to give up on this one game, but you might get hurt because you're playing, but is your team going to pay your bills if you do get hurt? But there's no, look, I get both sides of it. I just don't like it.

Don't like it either. I don't like it. I'm an agreement with you on that. I don't like it either I don't like you could blow your knee out in that in that last game But you've also been playing football your whole life What it is is they gave me something for so long as a fan They gave me college football for what it was and I loved and I fell in love with it But then the rules change

And guess what? I'm not against the players making money because the universities were becoming the fat cats before. But within the new rules, I hate everything about NI on what it's creating. I hate the setting out of the bowl games. I love the bowl games. But what it's creating long-term, I don't think it's good for the sport, but for the kids, I think it's good. It's just, yeah. I telling you before, I love it.

Yeah, but it's good. even know why, but like it, but it's sad. like the sitting out the ball game and even the ball games. No, but just like the, it's not even them that they're getting paid I just, I don't know. I, I, well you like it because your team is one of the teams with money. Well, yeah. In basketball, if your team was a team without money and you were getting your players stolen and you didn't have the budget, we ain't got the, you know, we're not, but we're spending middle. No, I know. And we're spending middle. I agree. We've got

plenty of money to go around. But I wouldn't say we got plenty, but we got more than some, but not as much as some. as the top dogs. Yeah. College basketball. Yeah, we do. But I don't know. just, I liked it. I liked it being able to transfer and the mind. So if you like that, you like the one and done. I think the product's better. So you like the one and I liked the one and done. I didn't mind it. I liked it. I liked getting the new good players every year. I the superstars, people can say what they want about

But look, like him or not, that's about coaching. I ain't getting into that. But I did like getting the new top ranked players every year. Cause I thought they were fun to watch. I thought they were. loved it in the nineties when you got to know guys for three and four years. They took it away from us. They took it away. It's not that way anymore. So I've come to love, I loved the one and done. Now it helped out that we were really good at one But don't you think that you would love it more?

If it was the old way, I do, but it's not still love it if it was the old way, but I- But don't you think you would love the old way more where you do the- Look, who wouldn't want to keep a player four years watching, I mean, but it's not here no more. No, it's not. And I fell in love with it. I don't mind what I'm seeing. overall product in college basketball is way up. Now, maybe we'll find out over a larger sample size if the underdog, the Cinderella story is going to be-

a lot less prevalent in the tournament and stuff. We'll have to find out. And maybe there is a major shift, but as of right now, I kind of like don't mind it for college basketball. I don't know why it's different. I'd have to think about it. I don't like it for college football.

harder for us to compete. Well, not just that. No, no, it ain't just and I'm not saying you're wrong. I said it is the SEC and I'm not saying you're wrong I compete on the field. I'm talking about compete on getting the top players and it It's the toughest conference and they're paying a lot of money at the top of that conference and they're paying a lot of basketball too. We got a lot to compete with them basketball in that the biggest thing we have at Kentucky.

is our athletic director, because of our history, is willing to spend more of our budget on basketball. As he should. Yeah, and I get that. our budget, but I bet you our budget compared to probably 10 other SEC schools is right with them. I bet you it's right with them in basketball. In basketball. Yeah, I bet you it think those teams are spending, I think that's why the conference got so good. And I think they're getting their money from football. They're getting their money from football. You know why we don't have to pay a lot more than them?

Well, the name on the front of our, I we do got to pay a lot. I mean, I don't think we have to pay more, but I think we got to play market value. Now, unless you got a player, it's already here. I don't think players are going to come to us. Just maybe a little cheaper,

We just read the other day where the budget was like eight to 10 million for next year. That's because all of them are going up. OK, but that's part of it. But I'm saying these other schools in the SEC are spending that much money, too. if they got X amount, Kentucky, I'm just using credit. OK, but I know. But I'm just using example. OK, percentages.

and I don't know the numbers. These are just trying to show I'm talking about say Tennessee's willing to pay of their overall budget for the two big ones. And that's mostly where they spend it is, I would say probably 75 % of the money, even for Kentucky goes to college football. It's just more expensive. say Tennessee does a, an 80, 20 split between football to basketball percentage off their budget. Kentucky might do a

70-30 split or a 65, 35 split where other teams ain't willing to spend that percentage of their overall budget So that gets us up closer to where their donors are because I do feel like we're middle to maybe slight maybe middle to slightly below middle on NIL budget as a whole but are Because of our program we're willing to spend a little bit higher of our percentage Because we're one of the few schools over the years that have made a lot of money with

I shared that article with you the other day and it was talking about can Alabama keep up in this NIL talking about basketball and it just talked about that they have decent money. It ain't that they don't have money, but they were talking about like the biggie schools are on par with six to eight million for next year and they have five million and they said their coach, he gets a little bit of a discount because of his up tempo pro style and players want to play for that players that want to you know have admirations going to NBA,

It ain't a whole lot discount, but it gets a little bit of a discount because of so that's the things you're hoping to do is have a system that is attractive And then I think what it also comes down to is you got to have a good eye for talent because you can overspend for a player or you can do a Walter Clayton. And I don't think they paid a fortune for him and hit the lottery with it. So you got to be an evaluator of talent too. You can spend all the money you want.

It helps guarantee you know, I don't guarantee you nothing. I agree. It don't guarantee it hires the win. It hires the percentages though it does Charlie when's the last time the Yankees won the World Series, but it higher it hires their percentage I'm not I don't guarantee nothing. Nothing's guaranteed in sports.

Nothing's guaranteed as for you want just because you're spending does not mean you're gonna well you okay if you go go to horse racing Okay, go to go go to horse racing if you me a toy I know but it's same concept you let me have a million dollar baby versus a $300,000 baby. I'm gonna take that million dollar. There's no guarantees We see it all time. There's cheap horses to win But if you're gonna give me from the beginning when when nobody knows nothing about it, I'm gonna take the best ones anybody will That's fine. But you

It don't guarantee nothing. No guarantee. You know, no, but it does. It does raise your percentages. The article that you sent had a really good line in it and it said it's more important to spend your money wisely. I agree with that. Spend a shitload of money, but you can spend it wisely. You can spend wisely all you and I do think that's one of the keys. I just said it.

Yes, it don't guarantee nothing. We say Rutgers Yeah, they spent fucking there's a lot of examples the other way Okay, look at them. Look at the finals in football the two biggest spenders in the game They were in the finals Notre Dame in Ohio State,

The reason the Big Ten's competing in college football, the top of the Big Ten, is cause they're spending money. The reason IU was good this year, reason IU was good this year, was because they spent money. They went out and bought them a team. I don't know any of the numbers, but I can-

You just told me Florida wasn't a top spender. can almost guarantee you They were a good spender. They were a good spender. And actually Houston is spending a decent amount of money. I'm saying they're not spending money. Everybody's spending Yeah, but there's different levels of spending money. Like Tennessee's throwing money at everything. A &M, Texas, Ohio State. final four in ever. So they can spend all the fuck they want. They don't bow out in the elite eight every Yeah, but ever since they started spending money in the L, their football program has came back up and they've been down for some years.

And you seen football, look, you see Nick Saban run. I love Nick Saban, but he got out because he knew that you see Kirby complaining. You know why he's complaining? I love Kirby and I think he's the best coach in college football because he knows he don't have Ohio State money. He knows he don't have Oregon's money. And you know what? There's a piece of me that thinks y'all liked it when y'all were on top, but I like them guys too much to think like that. But when Nick Saban was getting all the top guys because their guys were willing to bend the rules and do it under the table, that's the only argument that I would say against them.

But I say a lot of arguments for them because I like those guys. I they're Kirby get this year. He got pretty fucking yeah, but but he spent he spending money there's when I say he's spending money. He's spending their spending top 10 money, but then there's top three money. There's a big difference. There's a big difference. What Kirby still there? Yeah, but so was Ohio like these big 10 teams have never been able to compete and now they can. look the Ohio State brought half the SEC.

have to, not half, but I feel like a lot of their stars were from the SEC the year before. And they were from the South. You better spend it wisely, not just throw it around. Depends how much you got. Depends how much you got. if you got too much, you can throw it around and still hit some targets. Or you could throw too much at one or two players. You can. BYU's probably gonna do. Especially if you're on a budget. And especially if you're on a budget.

They're going to be playing with some managers. They gave that kid seven million. Who else they going to be able to pay? How big is their budget? Well, look, how much do you think Manny made this year at Texas? He's a freaking backup or Nussmeyer the year before Daniels. had them schools had big money to be able to pay their backup quarterback to stay. Cause if I was a backup quarterback, I probably wouldn't stay, but if you're going to pay me a lot of money and I don't get a chance to get exposed yet, I think the Mannings were genius.

because he hadn't had a play yet. They're playing the long game. They're playing the money game too. Or they went to Texas. I'm sure they're getting paid, but they know that kid's going to be. His daddy knows it better than anybody. He's one NFL draft pick. His daddy knows.

like started but like three games in his career and they are I would argue the Mannings are are playing the money game big time and I don't blame them it's the smart thing to do his dad knows better than anybody that's a lot more money in the NFL over his NFL career then he's gonna get paid in these two or three years he will have a net worth of 30 million dollars before he gets to the NFL and by the time he's done with the NFL he'll be there ain't much difference between 30 million and 300 million at that point it's keeping score oh your quality of life ain't going up that much

There's a big there is a big difference number wise there's a big but you you read all these books from these multi millionaires at some point it ain't about money no more because they got everything they could possibly want with 30 or 40 million dollars then it becomes about Accomplishments and legacy and stuff like that knows he's gonna be a number one pig and there ain't many guys out there that

before you even play much college football already know you're gonna be the number one fighting pick. I think it happens more in the NBA. I think in football, there's been so many number one players, highly ranked number one players that got to college and just weren't a big thing. Yeah, you don't see it very often where that kid, you can almost guarantee he's gonna be the number one pick in the draft, right? No, I disagree with that. You don't think so? No, I don't. Unless he totally He's gonna go to the combine like nobody's gonna waste their night. Listen.

I'm sure they love the legacy of the Manning's. would too. But you got to go to combine. You got to show you got all the tools and like you got to show you can produce in the field. I agree. agree. I agree. But what will he look like as a, somebody that could really throw the ball? Like he college uses his legs. Like I want to see his arm more and I want to see how he does under. No, no, no, no. think he will be, he will be the number one, but I've plenty of guys that were really highly touted guys that

really looked good as a freshman and then kind of fell off. There's been a lot of them. There really has. Football! So I've always argued it's you get more guys in football that are buzzed and guys that were lower ranked that are, end up being better in college. Basketball, I don't think you see it much because you got the AAU circuit.

most of those guys get ranked off their AIU performance. And so you go to the national scene and now you're not a big fish in a small pond. You're playing. So you get to see those kids against each other and not just playing against Poe Dunk High School in football. You have like one or two All-Star games and that's it. So you got to judge a kid playing down in Florida in seven or eight, eight football versus a kid in Eastern Kentucky that's playing one or two eight football. And you can't discredit a kid just cause he plays one or two eight. you got to be able to look.

This guy's plans is really slow competition. Guys plan is good. That don't mean the kids better just because he plays in seven or eight. That's hard to judge that. It's hard to judge that. Dude, if we had to stay on track for like, like say, say, say we had a true producer and we had to stay on track for, I don't know, segments and then like a two hour, you know, hour and a half or two, we'd be fired real quick. I it. I love it.

Probably just ran it. We talked about the Houston Duke game like 45 minutes Listen, but these are the these are the topics, know, I use make fun of me because I get on the message boards These are the topics people want to hear about because look the NILs like it or not I don't like it but it's here and it's a big part of what's going on right now we people are putting their teams together for next year and the NIL it's everybody you're resigning your team every year

This is recruiting. Recruiting used to be such a big thing, but it went over like a years and it would come close to last year for months. This happens in a month. It's kind of exciting. We're over like an hour and we haven't even hit the chat. All right, let's go. So one quick thing here. I did want to mention before we get to the championship game. Did you see Hakeem Elijah one was not allowed on the court?

for the celebration after Houston beat Duke. Did you see that shit? I did see it, the NCAA should be ashamed of theirself. Absolutely ashamed. Look, I ain't for people losing their job, but that usher, he gotta be fired. Yeah. The greatest player to ever play at Houston.

Was not allowed on the court after they came back and beat duke. was the road of the championship? I didn't read the details. I'm assuming the guy didn't know who the hell he was Okay, it looked like he was in his 20s. So he did not know who he was That is embarrassing. couldn't akim just holler over to somebody. Hey, you know I've seen the video dude, but you know akim's uh akim's

polite like professional guy argue with the guy like he didn't argue with him I didn't want to get the kid in trouble but you could see the look on his face like is this real life is this really happening like you said oh it could have been a kid old dude and just didn't know and I've got Keem seems like the kind of guy that wouldn't want to get that kid in trouble we gotta find some way to get I agree I agree

ask your supervisor or something because the dream is the dream. The greatest player of the ever play at the University of Houston and one of the best I would argue the best center in the history of basketball. I thought it was a bad look dude. That was that was wild. I'd be like, I don't know. It'd be like Duke and like Grant Hills not allowed on the court. Yeah, it was bad. It was.

All right. So Monday night championship game, Florida, Houston. Good game. Battle. I do want to mention how many fouls were called in that first half Anthony. I what I say for yeah, for total for fouls total. Do you agree that that was one of the most physical?

First halfs of basketball that you've watched this season. yeah, it was, physical. was physical. I like that style basketball, so I'm not a good person to ask it I do like it. I like it. It was physical, right? I guess. Yeah, it was. I'm not saying you're wrong. Yeah, I think you're right. I think you're right. But with some of it clean, I don't know that both those things are good at defending. There was guaranteed more than 4,000. Yeah, I think you're right.

I texted, I don't know if it was you, but I texted one of the groups I was in and I said, they will start calling fouls in the second half. And within the first three minutes of the second half, seven fouls. But I will say this, Florida came out, they definitely came out I think the announcer even made the comment, tell the halftime speech was, we gotta be physical.

Like, know, because the refs were letting them play physical in the first half. So why do you change it up in the first three? Well, Florida came out and I hate that about refs. I'm with you. I'd rather call it the other way. I'm with you. Call it a little tighter in the first half and then let them play in the second half. How about let's just be consistent, either call it tight or let them go. They probably went and looked at their numbers. I think them guys watched their numbers

It was a big swing, I thought. I'll give the officials credit on one thing, I'm, listen, Charlie, I'm with you. agree, I think it's a good argument. thought I seen one thing that was interesting. So beginning of the second half, Florida came out, you could almost see it. They mother was like, we're not getting pushed around. And I almost think they got dirty a bit. As they should. Okay, whatever, whatever, it's fine. don't feel like Houston was ever dirty, but whatever, they got fouls caught on them for it. So it's not like they got away with it, but.

And so a smart player, I've always said, whenever the crowd's booing, a smart player on the other side tries go set the guy up for a cheap one because I always feel like officials come back with makeup calls just because the crowd ain't happy. And you see that a lot in sports. I think you do. And I think Florida try to like get them to do like three or four, like try to grab and pull them down and the officials weren't buying it. I'll give them credit for that because I feel like they almost always buy that stuff. Like they'll give it to them. But eventually I feel like they did break in that sense.

but I don't think it was a bad game called either way. I really don't. It was a dog fight. I thought it was a great game. I thought, I felt a little bad for Houston probably for about two minutes. For about two minutes I felt, cause I thought Houston outplayed them. I really do. But what I think they only trailed for 55 seconds. But then I think back to the Duke Houston game and I think the same scenario happened for Houston. And you know, I told you, I talked to a buddy, I see a post of my buddies on Facebook.

And he says, think about how much Lux involved in the NCAA. a team like Houston, a team like Florida, both had games that pretty much were gift wrapped. They were beating the tournament. Florida by Texas Tech and then Houston by Duke, So you, not only do you got to be good, you do got to be really good, but you got to have some luck on your side too, because there's going to be times where, maybe things bounce your way or go your way because both those teams, they hit some free throws and stuff. I'm not sure if they can come back, you know, I'm just not.

So you take luck and being good. I'm not saying it just takes luck because that that's false. You got to be good and argue that there maybe has never been an NCAA champion ever that hasn't got lucky at some point in their run. Maybe, I don't 96 Kentucky did demolish people by like 20 something points a game in that tournament. So maybe there's a handful of teams, but most of your teams that win the national title.

They're going to get a little bit lucky at some point in that tournament. I would argue to say that Houston was beat against Duke. I would argue to say Florida was beat against Texas Tech. I would argue say Texas Tech was beat against Arkansas. But all those teams had to come back. did. They did. But if that team's hit good free throws, some of them were good free throw shooters too. If they hit them free throws, it's probably over. you know, more power to them. I mean, it's like you say, it's not scoring for 10 minutes.

Yeah, but something but all that but all that if they hit them free throws and then Cooper flag And then when they missed that front end of that one-on-one Cooper flag, you know got that cup foul some people thinks it foul some don't but and then they got the two free throws if he hits those two free throws, that pretty much guarantees dude. Go a lot. I agree. I agree I'm just saying he was a good and then

They hit their free throws, but they were both good free throw shooters. wasn't like they were bad free throw shooter. I agree with what you're saying. just, I'm just saying you can't say it was a complete collapse. If that was the case, I'd just say Duke fucking sucks. Cause they collapse completely, but you got to give Houston credit. I agree in this situation, scoring in nine minutes. man, that's rough. But, then they still should have probably won it. Houston collapse too. They were up 11. They wasn't.

They were up 11 with 13 and a half minutes. So it was a little bit more time than the Duke, but still you're up 11, 13 and a half minutes controlling that whole game. Houston was some dogs in that first half. They were beating the shit out of Florida and do you think, do you feel like I do? Okay. And I'm not saying this costs nobody a game because I'm not going there and I won't go there, but do you feel like sometimes like in games,

and say you're up by like nine or 10 and say there's been controversy in the game two minutes to go. feel like sometimes a referee gives that team down 10, a few calls right there. I do feel like it goes on and I don't like officials doing that. I don't like them doing it because them teams can come by and I'm not saying that happened there, but I have seen that happen in sports a lot. I have. does the officials care if it's close game or

No, but I feel like they are. I'm telling you, I've seen that I've seen them where maybe they're art, maybe the coaches over having a blowout and they're down by 15 or four minutes ago. I feel like they start giving them a few just to feel like they equal them out. I know officials shouldn't play into that, but I do think they did. ain't a little league dude. If they're doing that shit, they should be fired. Now you don't think makeup calls don't happen in college basketball.

All the time. see them all the time. Players are so smart. go to try to they play another team back in the game. I but I don't think they mean to. I think they think maybe the game's over, but that's why I don't like it because comebacks I'll tell you how much it happens. I watch players, smart players, and I've told my son this. If you think the official missed one, he ain't just going to say he missed it, but

try to drop out of the next play, you'll probably get a quick whistle. I think you see players do that a lot. Players are getting smarter. I think coaches are telling them about it and they're learning through the AAU stuff and they're playing a lot of basketball. And I don't like it. but I do think you see it. Do you not? Yeah, you do. but they're not supposed to. No, I know. They're not supposed to. Walter Clayton, I thought.

After a disastrous first half, Houston, like you said earlier, eating his lunch. They had him frustrated, man. They had him frustrated in the first three minutes. was over. Maybe he had two points at halftime. And they were bad shots. but he ends up, what'd you say? 11, 11, they were 11 big points. were all 11 or big because he was a big part of them coming back there at the end.

The kids just, I give him credit because he don't have, yeah, he was off. I don't know what he shot in the first half, but it was bad. But he's not scared to keep shooting that ball. But I wouldn't even say that it was, that he was off. They had the clamps on him, dude. They had his number. I mean, I don't, I think I've missed like six minutes of the second half, which I hate it. Houston plays suffocate and defense. No doubt. Yeah. But man, they even played it on Cooper and they weren't able to do that to Cooper. they took him out of his

They had the script to how to slow him down. they had the perfect defense set up for him. Cause you could see it, He was frustrated. He didn't have enough because I came back and led them the championship. you tell me I'm Houston, Walter Clayton only gets 11 points. I'm checking that box. job. done. No doubt. Especially after he had 30 and 30 straight games. Yeah. If you, if you tell me, if you would have told me before the game that the

final score was in the sixties and Walter Clayton only had 11, 100 % Houston one. I wouldn't say a hundred, but I see your angle. at that point, that's where Houston wanted the game was. I agree. But that's the best chance for them to win. But if they're in the sixties, I say Florida's right there with them. Cause I can't see Florida scoring a lower than 60. I think that's the best chance for Houston to win. Only the second, I think it was his second lowest output of the year for Florida. But you see kind of angle. saying

If they're there, I don't, definitely think it's a tight game. Um, shit. ain't going to be Florida. Wasn't going to score 47. Yeah. Yeah. So I mean, yeah, it wasn't going to be 65 Florida. Going to put up some points. I'm just really surprised for surprise that Houston was, was one of the, my three or four teams that I talked about a handful of weeks ago, but I kept saying, I was worried about them against teams like

Florida because I didn't think that they could hold Florida in the 60s. So very impressed with Houston

I'm kind of glad Florida. Look, I was, it was a weird thing for me cause I did have it. had a me too. It was weird for me. was a future bet on Houston. Well, Florida for me was sec. So that's, I'm not a complete sec Homer. I did kind of, did. I wasn't going to be mad at Florida one, even though I had a future bet from about two and a half months ago that I made on Houston. but

I'll tell you, I give Houston credit for being able to keep Florida in the sixties, but I give Florida even more credit for being able to win a game in the sixties because I would have said if it was in the sixties, Houston was going to win. Even though I didn't think Houston could keep them. I knew, I knew how good their defense was there. I knew it was good. I know it was good. I didn't know it was that good. I did not think they could keep Florida to in the sixties and I give credit to Florida for winning a game.

Like this in the 60s, especially when Houston was busting that ass for a large portion of this game I honestly Houston looked a lot better there. Yeah, I think they all play florida But guess what they didn't have to the same thing happen to duke So I don't feel bad for them. I thought the best four teams going into the tournament I thought they auburn alabama duke and florida That's the four teams. I thought were the best teams I was wrong with alabama

I would have probably put Houston right there around the five, six mark. I thought they were really good, but I wouldn't have put on my top four. I probably would have put on five or six. that's the one that they were outside my top four. The other three, they ended up making it there. had Alabama too and Duke put a hurtin' on them. Maybe Alabama was and Duke, that was just the night that Duke wasn't there, but I still wouldn't. If I'm remaking it, I'm putting Alabama outside my top four.

so pissed I picked Alabama to win it all. I picked Auburn and Alabama but I never try to pick the favorites. They don't spend enough money from me man. Who's that? Alabama dude. They don't spend enough money. I shouldn't have picked them. Charlie you can say what you want dude. You can say what you want. No I'm just saying they don't spend enough money and they still in the Elite 8.

spend your money wisely. Yeah. But they spent, they spend good money. There's a difference between being top three money and top 10 money. That's fine. And they were top eight teams at the of the year. you know what? you know what? Ruckers, Ruckers spent horribly. Ruckers spent horrible. They said actually were number two, three top two. Well, they did. They did maybe top 200. don't know. They did. They did. right. So Florida is your national champs.

SEC They were the best conference hands down. Yeah, there's like there's no argument. It's football and I owe money. I think it has a lot to do with it. I really do. If you're arguing that the SEC was overrated or whatever, you're just a hater. Yeah, there was only a few schools that were outside the in my opinion and I want to go into my top 10. It's a perfect time to roll right into it. Charlie. I want to make a postseason top and I'm gonna run down real quick. I'm not gonna spend a lot of time on it.

This is who I think the best teams were after the tournament. If the tournament was to play tomorrow, not who earned it because Houston, mean, Florida earned the national title. Okay? And so they were the earning team. They went out there and they did it. So they won that tournament. But these are the teams, if there was a tournament tomorrow and I'm ranking the teams off who I think was best the first, I did this in college football, I'm gonna do it for college basketball. So at one, I think Duke was hands down the best team in college basketball this year.

I I think they were the best in the year, but they didn't win it. For second and third, I'm going to have a tie. I think it's Florida and Houston. That's my second and third. I can't split them. I think if they play 10 games, they split them five a piece. Number four, I'm going to go Auburn. I think Auburn was the fourth best team. I think they were a good team. I think they gave Florida their best shot. I think they came out to play against Florida. I think they were really close to Florida.

But I don't think they quite was where Florida and Houston was just a pinch below it. Not much. Number five might be a surprise to a lot of people. I'm going to go Arizona. I think Arizona gave Duke a really tough game. They're, I do get them went about 10, but man, they played with them. Arizona was playing really good basketball in the tournament. I think they were a team that was really peaking at the end of the year. I'm going to go them at five and number six and seven. I'm going have a tie. I'm going go Tennessee and Alabama for six and seven.

Actually for 6, 7 and 8 I had a three-way tie. I'm sorry. I had Tennessee, Alabama and Texas Tech. I couldn't split them. So there's 6, 7, 8. That takes me to 9, which I would go Michigan State. And then number 10, I got a three-way tie for number 10. I'm going to go Iowa State, Arkansas and Kentucky.

I've already said that I think the top four teams were in the final four. I think Florida was the best team all year.

kind of jumped on them as the best team about a month or two ago. They, did you feel that way after the tournament that they were the best team? I think Florida was the best team overall all year. I think Florida was the best team. They got it done. won. were, but I'm just saying, I think Florida was the best team all year. Okay. So if they're, and I'm not saying you're, I'm not discount, which no, I'm not discount. I'm not, I'm truly not. And if I, yeah, if I sound like it, I'm not meaning to, if there was a tournament that started tomorrow,

And they said the winner of the tournament, if you pick the winner of the tournament, you get $200,000. There's no odds. You just get one team. You would take Florida in the tournament.

I think Florida was the best. Are we talking about who? No, they earned it. They earned the victory. They earned. They're the champions. They earned it. No, I'm saying it ain't just because they're the champions. They I think they were the best team in the hardest conference and you have college basketball. Yeah. But if you got four losses all year, but if you get it, I'm just saying, I'm just saying if there was a tournament tomorrow, I'm just saying I'm not trying to like discount. Well, I'm promise you, not. You want me to say Duke? No, I'm just saying I'm asking if you have one team to pick.

and you're going to get $200,000 and you, so it's still hard to win because the best team don't always win it. But if you just get one team and there's no fandom, it's just pure, you want to try to get the most likely team to win it. Okay. Okay. Because I do think there's a different, they earned the championship. There's no doubt. And they were one of the best teams. I'm just making sure that you would take them in that scenario. That's all I'm asking. Florida was the best team over the totality of the year from start.

to the finish all the way through the tournament. I don't think the start matters about the thing I'm saying. I'm saying if at that moment and the, if they re-ran that tournament and the winner got $200,000, if you could pick the winner, who would you take? just changed lanes. No, I didn't. I just said the same thing thing. You said a postseason top 10. Well, yeah, I'm saying, and I explained that top 10 too. This is not who earned it.

The number one two should be Florida and Houston. have nothing to do with who earned it. I got Duke number two. Okay, I'm fine with that, but you're twisting the argument. I explained it. I said, who would you take in the tournament if there was another tournament tomorrow? I'm just, I'm asking you that question. I'm asking that question directly. Okay. So if they, for $200,000 and I'm not saying, okay. Why are you questioning that? Cause I think

I think Vegas would have Duke by decent amount. I don't give a fuck what you think. Okay. Duke wasn't the best team. Yes they were. Florida was the best team. Duke was the best team. You're crazy.

I question your basketball knowledge if you don't think they were the best team. team. were because the eye test tells me that. Yes. Florida played in the way tougher. That don't matter. It matters. That matters. Over there. If we're talking about accomplishments, they got the same amount of losses as you had. They were the most accomplished. They were the most accomplished. They were the most accomplished team in college basketball. Hands down. Hands down. Most accomplished team in college. Florida.

Most accomplished team in college basketball. I don't think they were the best team in college basketball. You don't think that? Accomplishments and who's the best in my opinion, two different things. We just talked about maybe 30 % of the time the best team wins the NCAA tournament. We talked about that earlier. You acted like Duke was definitely the best team. I do think they were. You think they were?

I didn't see nobody beat Alabama like that. didn't see nobody Baylor was hot They rolled through them the ITS was telling that before they had the star pyre do their their start lineups legit, dude It's in It ain't that legit. It ain't that legit Cooper flags the truth to can up was the truth Other the other role players were To me Florida had the hottest player in the tournament I think if there was a tournament tomorrow Duke would be

maybe better than even money. Cause that's 64 team tournament. think they'd be a two to one favorite to win it. think Florida would probably be about four to one. You're do. You're nuts. 30, 36 and four.

We've talked about the toughest conference in the history of college basketball. They've run through it. They win the national championship and he's still like, Oh, they ain't shit. I know. did not say dude. just put them as my number two. But by far, do think they were. I do. think they were crazy. do. And I think Kentucky's John Wall team was about for the best team. I think our 38 one team was the best by far the best team. I thought they all for these teams right here.

the best teams and any four of them could have won it. Duke was not no... All four of could have won them. They were even money going into the final four. looked at it. Florida was three to one. Can I get through my top?

Well, I'm your man. You're arguing. So I'm getting like if you're trying to discount what I'm saying, so I'm back with my argument. Get to get to number two. All I said was a team other than Duke at number one and you got all upset. No, didn't. asked you. I know all I did. You got upset. I asked you the question because I wanted it because there's a difference. There's a difference between like three times. No, You kept going to that. I think they had the best season in the best conference. No, think Florida's the best team. OK.

That's no, that's I guess I put the 200,000 there because I know that's a lot of money to both of us

And if you know at that point you would have to and you act like me picking florida is just like so oh my god No, no I I disagree with it, but I don't think to me duke so much like not so much better I think they're pretty good amount. I think they're a pretty good amount better that they're better than florida That's cool, but they're not so much better. I don't think they're like hands down better. No way I don't think they were hands down enough better, but I do think that they were the better team Yeah, I don't think but if you give me one team to win it all and we got 200 000 on the line i'm taking duke

Houston beat Duke and then Florida turn around and beat Houston. I don't know what you can say that all year I mean we get I mean I know but even like during the season weak teams beat good teams good team you can't make those arguments I was gonna say Duke number two. No Kentucky beat Florida. We're number two. You can do that. I'm not putting this number one Kentucky's number two. We beat Florida. We're one and against the national champs

We beat Duke too. We're two and against your top two. We're two and against them. Fuck Duke. All right. Florida is the best team. They proved it. put some respect on son. Put some respect on Florida. One game scenario. I do. And I already said it. thought Duke was a little bit better than Houston. Even though Houston beat him. think it would be, Anthony said eight out of 10. I think it would be six.

Maybe I think they're pretty even. Houston, proved it. I would probably put Duke second. Okay, so there you go. Duke would be second over Houston, even though Houston beat Duke. So yes, I understand the assignment, but I'm not putting Duke number one. I'm just not. My top four is the final four. Florida, Duke, Houston will be third and Auburn's fourth. After that, to be honest, I don't give a shit. Tennessee.

Whatever. They were all right, but they folded like always. Alabama was a bunch of bombs late. Their guards got absolutely manhandled. They ran into a bus all by Duke's guards. Absolutely manhandled them. So I ain't got nothing for Alabama. Tennessee's garbage. Michigan state. They're always going to be good with what time is though. None of these other teams. Give me Maryland and Kentucky.

I don't care. It don't matter. It was only these four. That was it. I got you. just do it. My postseason top. It was only these four. I don't know. I don't even know how I'll put it. I probably I don't know. None of them teams excite me to Tennessee, Alabama, Michigan State, maybe a Texas Tech might be fifth for me. Maybe Texas Tech fifth.

I you got Maryland, Michigan, St. John's, Kentucky. mean, I give me Kentucky up there somewhere, We had a bunch of big wins. Maybe the second most quad win quad one wins in the country. I'm at the end of the year, not where we were. I agree. It's somebody at some point I die. I think we were probably a top six, seven, team at some There's no doubt. But at end of the year, I think we were playing around that 10 to 15 range. Give us another match up in the sweet 16 against another team that's not

named Tennessee or another team that's not in the SEC, we might have been in the Elite Eight or the Final might have, yeah, we might have. listen, I liked our little team. also matched up against Tennessee, who we had already beat twice. Yeah, but I didn't like a matchup with them, but it just didn't work out. didn't either, but I'm just saying, you never It was a bad day to- We were good enough to win another game or two. Just matchup didn't work out. I think we were very equal to Illinois. but it was our day against Illinois, and I think we were kind of equal to Tennessee.

Maybe Tennessee was a pinch better, but I thought we were a good matchup, but we weren't going to beat them that day. like Illinois wasn't going to beat us that day. That's just the way sports goes. Some days it's your day. That's where the one game scenario makes it scary. I'll tell you who I wouldn't put in the top 10. Who's that? Louisville. I wouldn't either. I mean, that's, that's no joke.

Give me Florida Duke, Houston, Auburn. Then I'm going to go Texas tech. Give me St. Then I'll put Tennessee and, uh, I'm not even going to say Tennessee. Give me Kentucky. Okay. Give me Kentucky. I got you. Just,

a matchup against Tennessee for a third time. I hated that. Guess what this weekend is. What is this weekend? Mark Pope's one year anniversary. One year anniversary. Glad to have you coach excited about next year. He's putting his team together right now, just like the rest of college basketball. We got some transfers. me too. I'm liking what I'm seeing. It's hard to judge. We've talked about this a little bit before the show.

It is. got, Clayton was playing for Iona. Nobody knew who he was. Now he's the final four MVP. You gotta have, you gotta be a good evaluator of talent. That's one of the special skills needed now. before you had to have a good reputation with the high school kids. But we talked about this earlier. Duke was actually one of the few teams that was able to get it done with high school kids this year. Their three main players were high school kids, with

COVID being over and the fifth and sixth year guys starting to disappear, does it equal out? Does it go more high school, more transfer? last couple of years, you've had some grown men, 25 year old men playing. What will that trend be? And I really don't have an opinion on it, cause I don't know. But you did see Duke, but that was just one. So, will it stay the same? But you will start seeing the COVID kid finally start disappearing in that fifth, sixth year senior. So- I'm not sure that's ever gonna happen to Anthony.

I'm with you. Our kids are going to be graduating from high school and they're and they're going to be playing with kids with a COVID year. I got you. I agree. I agree. it been over like two years ago. Yeah. Good Lord. They were some, what was Auburn's average age? 25 years old this year? Yeah. 24 and a half. They were older than the Oklahoma city thunder average age. Yeah. They were unreal. Yeah. So speaking of Kentucky's roster real quick, I think it's shaping up, man. It is.

Got three freshmen and what, four transfers so far? Yep. And we have not officially heard from OA or Garrison yet, but they're negotiating. I'd say I'm 95 % sure OA is coming back. Garrison, I'm not as confident, but I do think he's coming back. So if we can get those two back, Chandler.

He's coming back. Of course we got the two Kentucky boys, Perry and Noah, but O.A. Garrison, Chandler. That's a good little three to build around. We did pick up just yesterday. We get the Diabate kid from Alabama. He's the big boy. Didn't play a ton of minutes. I think he only got like maybe 14 or 15 minutes a game this year, which is a little bit low. But if you look at his stats,

He is, he's didn't realize that Charlie that he wouldn't get that many minutes. Yeah. He's, I don't know if he was battling injury earlier in the year or something, but yeah, he didn't, he only got, I think he only played maybe 14, 15 minutes, but

He's a good defender at the rim and we needed another big guy to start building with Garrison and then some of the younger guys that we got. So I like that pickup. We've also got two guards, Cam Williams from Tulane. I'm not going to sit here and act like I know about that kid because I don't, but who knows? Like I said, Walter Clayton was playing for Iona a couple of years ago and nobody knew who he was. So.

Cam Williams from Tulane, the Jalen Love kid from Pittsburgh. He's a big score. They, I've read a thing or that the guy said he's a season ticket holder pit. He said, they literally within injuries only had two legit scores at all. He said teams were able to key on him and the kids still had like 19 points a game. So I'm excited about him. Yeah. He's I've heard nothing but good things, but I'm not going to sit here and praise a guy that played for a

really bad Pittsburgh team in a terrible ACC conference that we don't go here. But at the same time, oh, if what the guy's saying and he sounded like he knew his stuff, if he was, I mean, it's when you only got one or two scores, dude, it's easy for defenses to kill when you trust Mark I agree with that. Guess what's going to happen with these guys that are transferring. We don't know about them. That's right. And it's going to continue just like you didn't know about Walter Clayton, just like you didn't know about depends how much college. It depends how much college basketball you watch. I'm sure there's some junkie.

Big college basketball fan. I did not know who Otega Owe was before he got to Kentucky. Sure. I didn't. played for Oklahoma. He was a sixth man. I didn't know that name, but I damn sure know it now. Yeah. So I just, think, look, we can name these guys, Jalen Love, Cam Williams, D'Abate. I think I could do it in college football. I think I could tell you a of those guys, not college basketball. I'm just saying these guys could end up being great. Yeah, they could. Hopefully they do.

Okay, I tell you a name I'm excited about just because I've seen him ride and this is purely I'm not gonna lie about it It's one of our freshmen coming in to Kaden Lewis. So we got three top 27 guys Jasper Lewis was and I'm going by rival Jasper Johnson. Yeah Jasper Johnson. I'm going by rivals Jasper Johnson had um Rivals, which is one of the big recruiting sites. They had Jasper Johnson number 18 He went down six spots since they do updates about every two months. He went that he was number 12. He went down number 18 I don't know why the drop it wasn't a huge drop Oh

from 12 to 18 and they don't always get it right, but it is least something to go by. He's number 18 overall. We got the number 20 overall, Caden Lewis. I'm excited about him because I've watched recruiting, that used to be the thing that I used to really keep up with. Usually these really late risers, he was number like 53 last update a couple months ago. He rised up 33 spots within a couple months. He went from number 53 to number 20. That's typically a sign the kids are really good.

They're showing down their AAU circuit and it's usually a really good sign. I don't like the late droppers. Number six ain't enough to bother me, which asked for Johnson, but you'll see some that were like top two or three and then they'll drop right at number 15 or 20. I usually don't like that because somebody's seeing something they don't and then the kid from Kentucky, Malachi, he's number 27. He dropped five spots that don't really, so he was number 22. That don't worry me.

For those that don't keep up with is typically your top 25 guys or five stars. So Malakout Marino is right outside that top 25 more. Yeah. But so with the ones that I mentioned, the three transfers and the three freshmen that you just mentioned, we also added Jaden Quaintance yesterday. Big time recruit two years ago. Actually, I want to say he committed to Kentucky.

at least for a couple minutes last year, decommitted ended up going to Arizona state. know Louisville was in the mix for him, thought they were going to get him for a while. Big time recruit went out to Arizona state. If you ask me, I think he got a little lost in the shuffle out there. Arizona state. If y'all don't know, they're not really a basketball school. So I got a, a scat, a scataboo. Yeah. Seems like probably a case of what you were talking about, Anthony.

The kid got the bag and he went to Arizona state. He's getting the bag again. Oh, I guarantee you. It's getting back again. There ain't no doubt that he's getting paid. So hey, I hear coming to Kentucky baby. We, was going to put coming off of ACL though. I just had ACL surgery about a month ago. They say he's going to be back by I'm excited about it. say December. I like athletic guys. I do. I'm a sucker for them and forward. Yep. So

I know we said we might do it on the show. I know we ran a little over it I'm really not prepared to do it anyways, but I do want to talk to all the listeners, especially people that are Kentucky fans, and maybe we might even look at Louisville's team too or Maryland's team, but once these teams start to come together in a week or two, and that'll give us time to kind of study it, there's rumors out there about everybody's budget. Right now, Kentucky and Louisville, seems the rumor is, and there are educated rumors.

that both Kentucky and Louisville have about eight to $10 million to spend on this year's team. So once they get this year's team together, let's guess on the payroll. And we're not gonna be- We'll do that next week. I like that idea. Let's guess on the payroll. And maybe you at home, if you're listening, you know as a thing, I'll try to find Maryland's out, but I know for Kentucky and Louisville, they have a very similar payroll. let's say they're saying eight to 10. So let's say nine for each, nine million for Louisville, nine million for Kentucky. I'll try to look into-

Maryland's speaking to Maryland. Yeah. The coach bounced on them. Okay. You were out of town for that. No. Yeah. Then I get, they got buzzed. William, you think Kevin Willard bounced. went to Villanova. We talked last week. Steve Blake had thrown his name into the mix. They got buzzed. He had thrown his own name into the Gravis Vasquez actually did too. So I was hoping to be wearing a Steve Blake Jersey.

And saying that Steve Blake was hired as the coach of Maryland. thought it would have been cool. Been a little jolt of energy. But like I said last week to Josh, I find it hard to believe that Maryland's not going to go after a seasoned veteran coach. That's exactly what they did. They went and got Buzz Williams. I don't mind that higher at all. I actually liked Buzz Williams and I think he'll do good up there at Maryland. I think that's a good, a good fit for them.

We'll just see if he can keep him on track. Willard had him back playing at a high level, keeping a lot of those local guys from the Willard leave or to get pushed out or he bounced. I'm surprised. Villanova. I didn't know Villanova was spending that kind of money to me. You almost got it. have a football team. Yeah, but you got it. But

To me, O-E, look, we can talk N-I-O or whatever, but you at least gotta have a decent budget or you wouldn't wanna go there, I don't think. But he don't have to fight. Compete the football, You don't have to compete with anything. Yeah, I get it. Villanova, gonna get everything he wants. An easier schedule. Hey, you don't gotta play in that SEC. Hey. And he's a big East guy. Hey, I wanna tell you, O-Charlie, that scares people. I've seen it scare, hey, Lincoln Riley out of Oklahoma, he was, there was a lot of people who said that he did not wanna go to the SEC. He didn't wanna go there and compete. it's been rough on Oklahoma.

It's been, know, I do think Oklahoma get together. They got too much good support. Their football program is going to be fine. but if they were in the big 12, you know, even Texas, I know Texas did good football, but they didn't have the best basketball year. you got to want to compete being in the SEC because everybody's got deep pockets. did see something on Buzz Williams though, that they said, he switches jobs. So he said on his pod, I don't know if it was a podcast or a radio show years ago.

Somebody called it like didn't call him on it but kind of you know called out that they remember him saying it that he says a coach is smart to leave a job about every six years that after six years that he thinks he's seen statistics that the numbers kind of go down fanfare goes down and so but a guy made a good point would you hire bus because if you found that if that information would have came out

Are you going to stay more than six years, Buzz? Unless you're a great coach, ain't going to make it six years anyway. But he had a good situation at A &M. had them back. He situation at Marquette. He was doing things at Marquette. Went in there. But A &M is one, they're in a great conference. A &M's a huge spender. A &M's one of the most wealthiest boosters there are. They've been spending money in college football and college basketball. He had them back. A guy made a point that Buzz, A Buzz maybe sticks to what he believes in there, but then

B, maybe he likes the team that ain't there yet. He likes to build a program. maybe that's what he likes and maybe he lives by that standard of six years, you know? So I did hear that. It might not be a bad, idea. It's probably, so I used to have a- always said Kentucky job was a 10 year job and he stayed 15 and you see- Yeah. I agree. We know how you feel about Cal, but I'm saying five- I agree with that. If he would have left at 10, it probably would have been-

In the long run, it probably would have been better for everybody, you know? So I told you my daughter played Southpaw at a very high level when she was young. We were a nationally ranked team, nine, 10 years old. we were playing other really nationally ranked teams. And I had a friend that his daughter probably at the time was a top five player in the country. She was really good. We became good friends. They were from about an hour from us. And he used to tell me that he had a friend that their kid was in the travel ball at a high level. And they used to tell, and I'm not saying this is good,

It was a different world than what we're doing with our travel ball team. But he said, you only stay with the team two years because you can get too close and then you get stuck with them. Not stuck with them, but like you feel too bad for leaving. Almost like that's kind of how we are with our, I wouldn't leave or quit our boys because I'm too close with them. he said, the guy told him, you don't want to get crazy close with the families because you'll have to make that hard decision for your kid. And it'd be hard when you're, I think it's decent. I mean, I don't like it, but.

It's probably good It's actually pretty surprising here. Look in Buzz Williams is from Texas too. Yeah. Texas guy. Yeah. He might just like building up that program or might live by his standards of six years or maybe thanks to sec stuff. Probably a little bit of a little bit of all of them. Let's see here.

at market from oh eight to fourteen. How many years is Six yeah, he coached at Virginia Tech from 2014 to 2019 Five or six. Yeah, and then he was at Texas A &M from 2019 to 25 six

I told you I heard it. He lives by it. He said it and he lives by it. So Maryland, you got until about 2030, maybe 2031, you better get something done. want to, cause I know we've asked about it here before. We talk about Maryland, we got Maryland listeners. it's going to be my job between now and next week. I'm going to try to find out about Maryland's NIL. Who the players are in it, who's the donors, are they?

Compared to their competition, the ACC, they got average budget, above average budget. We know it's talent-rich area for the ACC standards anyway, and really any area. You got the DC right there. You got a few big cities right there. There's always been a lot of talent in football and basketball, but you know, know I believe, money talks, so.

I'm going to try to dig in and really it's just doing a lot of little small research. A lot of reading. a Maryland correspondent. Okay. Reds. We need you next week. I'm gonna call you. we need the info on Maryland's NIL budget situation. Let us know the bar basketball. Find out what you can find out the budget, how much they allocate the two big ones, how much you're hearing.

or the rumors are that they're allocating to football and basketball and let us know. he's always told me, call me for the Maryland info. We need some NIL info on Maryland and who's the mega donor. That's who I like to do. So Kentucky's is the crafts. They're coal miners. They own a big coal mining company. only got one mega might be that under armor guy. So some schools like Tennessee's got a guy that's just throwing money and stuff. They say he owns like half a gallon bird.

or something. It's Miami's got a big mega donor. A &M's got all kinds of donors, Texas does, but so is Ohio State. But if they got any mega donors, we'd like to hear about those. It'd probably be halfway easy information to find out, I would say. Yep, let us know how much they're spending in basketball for sure. right, Anthony, I think that is...

I didn't really have much else. I was going to mention the little roof collapse there in Dominican Republic. If anybody heard masters coming up, who are you taking real quick? Who are like masters? I don't know. Let me look at, let me pull them up real quick. I'm taking, ain't looked at the odds, but I like the guys long game. not unless, not, not unless not unless Daley's coming out of it to play and I'm going to go happy Gilmore. So that's who I'm taking. Happy. You taking happy long game, dude.

Who can hit the long ball?

I'm not a guy, not a huge golf fan, but I do love the Masters. me, Masters always symbolizes the beginning of spring. I know Derby time's close when I see the Masters. So it's a tradition like no other. Starts tomorrow. Augusta. I'm the same way. I like golf. I like to play golf. Don't play it very much at all, but I do enjoy it. Don't watch a lot of golf, but I will watch some of the Masters. Looks like the favorites, Scottie Scheffler, the old drunk.

driving around, messing with people in Louisville. He's the one that got locked up in Louisville. Going to the tournament. Yeah, going to the tournament. Scheffler and McElroy are pretty much kind of heavy favorites. Scotty Scheffler is four to one. McElroy is six and a half to one. Then you got John Rom, Morikawa, DeChambeau. That's, that's your long ball right there. That's your, that's your, real life. Happy Gilmore.

Happy is playing tournament. He won the invitational to qualify for the tournament. He's playing for his grandma, Grandma's house. Save it from shooter McGavin. I said, D'Chambeau, that's your real life. Happy Gilmore. He hits the ball fricking mile. I don't know. Happy's real to me. Damn it. Give me, let's see. I'll take one guy at the top and then I'll try to take a little long shot.

The shuffle guy, Xander Shuffle, he always seems to be up top. He's like 18 to one. Give me him. I'm gonna take Xander Shuffle. I don't even know if that's how you say it. Shafel Shuffle, something like that. I'll learn his name by the end of the weekend. And then give me, what is he? Shuffle's 18 to one. I need a big money, big money here. Give me who we got. Look at Sergio Garcia, 60 to one. He should be like a thousand to one.

Jordan Spieth, 40 to one. Give me Tommy Fleetwood at 40 to one. There's my two. I got Tommy Fleetwood and I got shuffle. I'll bet happy Gilmore and whoever you bet. So, well, we could,

You got the Kentucky boy, Justin Thomas, 25 to one. I'll take him. There you go. And happy. Justin Thomas and happy Gilmore.

I might bet golfers. I'll tell you one thing that the Masters does have. They have a really good app. Their app is, it has got so much information. can watch every, like you can just click on different holes and watch what's going on. The Masters app is awesome. I'll tell you one other thing they have really good that I've always liked. They say the food's good. but Masters really what they have that nobody else has.

Masters that tradition like none other fake birds piped in they say the birds are fake. That's alright They say the birds and the sound effects are fake. See that's why I told you earlier I don't like the new age shit because the new age shit they they like like if you have a if there's a theory No, dude, hey the storylines when they couldn't prove everything they were good storylines. Now you just Google it and yep

The birds are fat. I went inside the Disney World, you know, me and my family, we like Disney World. I went inside the rides, like when they're closed and how just like simple they look and like, dude, I don't want to see that. Don't want to see it, All one more thing from last week. Josh said that Chuckie Hepburn

apparently went down to the bar and rode the bull. And I think he sent out a challenge to one Anthony Roberts. So we might have to do a live show of blitz the bookie down at this bar. You versus Chuckie Hepburn. You think you got him? said he went 30 seconds. We was hoping for Rick Batino. done.

Doubled if it's a Mexican bull, I'll write it. Sorry. I don't know about the American bulls, but I can write a Mexican bull Anthony always wanted to be a jockey now. He just wants to be a cowboy He wants to be a rodeo, you know, you live Charlie I grew up, know going to race track with my grandparents and that was my first love really Let's go be Trotter jockeys. Yeah, I had I knew a buddy of mine that did it I wanted a man racing because but I knew cuz I had you know bigger family I knew that being it but like

I definitely, if I was short enough, my first dream job, like I knew- Anthony's six foot two, probably weighs 200, at least 190, 200. He ain't no jockey. But you ain't gotta be small to be a trotter jockey. No, you don't. No, no. No, are. And, but you know, growing up, of course, I wanted to be a professional athlete like anybody. Okay. But I was a good athlete, but I knew, I mean, I was smart enough to know I wasn't a professional athlete. So my first dream job

Really, and I actually went to school for it for about a year at U of O's Business School was to be a horse trainer. They have one of the three programs in the country. Horse racing was a love of mine from way back. But of course, when I was really young and I grew up by the I knew it was gonna outlive me, but I know I could have been a jockey. Cause I understand, they used to have this little mechanical thing up at the track and you could ride the horse. And it was like, they have one now, you just push the button. But this you could, I think they took it out of there because

I had me and a few buddies, we go up there with like $20 and quarters. And I literally think they had a maintenance at every time we left because you could just jerk the handle down to make it go faster. And literally we, you would hear it just boom, boom, boom. I literally think they took that game out because of us. It was on the second floor clubhouse at Churchill we wanted to get into some Derby stuff. Uh, we've run a little bit long, so just know basketball is now over.

Spring practice coming. dabble little bit in that, but I can promise you that the next week or two is going to be heavy, racing Derby action. Wouldn't you say? Yeah, I'd say. Yeah. We wanted to talk about some stuff today, but we got caught up. That's fine. We need plenty of stuff to talk about next week. Now that all these sports are over,

So drives coming up April 24th. Yeah, we'll be on. We'll be on that too, but next week we will be heavy on the Derby the probables by next week. All the preps will be over. We got what? One more prep this weekend, the Lexington, which is not even, what's that a 20 pointer or something? Yeah.

But it does sometimes give horse the points they need, which is way too close to the Derby. But sometimes you get horses to win these late ones and they wait to go to Maryland. So to go to the great Pimlico racetrack. it's Charlie always tells me how much of a crap show it is. I've heard that from other places, but I like the historic behind it. They need to pump money into Pimlico. I know I've talked about moving it to Laurel, which I don't know what part of town that's in down there. Pump money into Pimlico. Laurel's in a decent spot. Pimlico is in the worst. That's all right. Terrible spot.

Pimlico I can't even believe they're still running the they say it's like old fairgrounds inside of it. All right, like they said lately they just kind of like dress it up for the prettiness, but it's really kind of the way Churchill Downs was 30 years ago before they start renovating everything basically That's what it is. I haven't been there in a long time. I've only been there once Is it like Freedom Hall is now kind of like you go in there and you just feel like that? I don't know how they're still doing it to be honest because Laurel is actually pretty nice. You know,

I did see where the, and they say this, these people do a good job down there. think it's called the stadium committee and they've been in control like the Baltimore Ravens but they, think have control of the preakness and maybe Pimlico. So maybe they say these guys do a good job with everything they touch. So maybe they'll do a good job with whatever they decide. Yeah. They've been talking about it for years, possibly moving it to Laurel. I'm a history. like the history, you know, and stuff, but man, Pimlico is such a.

Shit show. Maybe they need to pump some money into it. It's getting old. Pump some money into it, Maryland. I got that bridge now. So let's uh, it's uh, how's the bridge project going? you heard? Nope. Reds bringing some of that info to how's that bridge? That's going to be a couple of year project, man. That's to, it's going to take a while. That was wild. when that guy hit that thing, he was like, you know, you have a wreck and you're like, shit, what you think he was thinking when he hit that and watch all them cars come down? It might've been thinking hit my mark.

No, they say you get into some conspiracy theories in the summer. You see the light. Am I wrong by saying the lights went out? So he lost power, right? Cause the lights went out before he hit it. Yeah, something happened. All right. Okay. But you know, when you hit that in all them cars fall, you're like, I mean, what do you think? Like dude, get the beer out of here. Like if there's any drugs on the ship, they're going overboard. Like anything. Oh I don't know what you'd be thinking. How how many drugs? My life is over. So look, you'd be thinking.

I've always heard them people work those ships and travel with them. they're up a lot of hours. They work hard. Some of them might have some offers to get them through. How many ship drugs you got, that got thrown overboard the next 10 to 15 minutes after that ship went down.

If that was a true accident, there's no telling. There was cocaine, pills, People weren't even worried if they were gonna go through withdrawals. They were ditching it, son. They were throwing up, trying to get it out of their system, shaving their hair. mean, know, P-Val, the old jockey, one time he couldn't pass the drug test. He was great. And he shaved every inch of hair on his body before his drug test.

All right guys, that's about it. One piece of news for all you true Blitz the Bookie fans that have listened all the way through to the end here. We are gonna have our first interview coming up. I guess it's gonna be what, a couple weeks. we're gonna do it the week after Easter. So be looking out for it. be our

first in-studio interview but we're really looking forward to it. Think everybody's gonna enjoy it. So, doing a little brainstorm and see if you can maybe figure out who you think we might have. I can promise you one thing, it's not Wu. It should be Wu, but it's not. We're gonna work on him for the second interview. I almost think if we call him, our messaging, the dude just so inviting. I've never met a fam- He ain't like super famous, but he's around here famous.

That was just so Nice to my kid. didn't know him. You know, I know him from a player. I said hi. I thought he wave, I was even, said, well, you know, I didn't know he's got a beard on soon. I said, Hey man, like waving us over there. Like that is cool, dude. So we'll have our first interview. We're not going to really release who it is right now. We're just going to tease it a little bit, but

put your brain to work. see if you can figure it out. I doubt it. If you do, I might even tell you you're right.

Next week, guys We're what? Three weeks away, Anthony, three weeks from Derby. it is Derby time. is Derby time. So next week we are, I'm wearing my Derby hat next week. Matter of fact, right here. Here we go. Let's go.

Let's do it. I've been already starting to lock in, know, Thunder got canceled. It's usually the kickoff for the Derby events. We usually have a two week program here in Louisville. It's all the festivals that lead up to Derby. It's our Superbowl. It's a big deal if you ain't never been to Louisville at Derby time. Come on in. And if you have been in, but I haven't experienced anything, do some events because if you just come to come to Derby, that's cool and that's fun. And I do that most of the years, but there's a lot of cool events around the city for two weeks lead up to it. about at least trying to get involved with a few of those.

One of the biggest events got canceled. It's the largest annual fireworks show in the United States, like a top five air show. If you ain't ever been, it's legit guys. I'm telling you, it's a, I don't care if you've seen big fireworks shows, it's huge. And it's every year, it's the largest annual fireworks show in America. It got canceled because we had all the rain besides COVID, I never see it canceled, but the water is so high up on the river right now. And it was supposed to be coming up this weekend. There's no way they could have it. I agree. The right thing to do was cancel it.

That sucks, but look, that's just the beginning of the Derby festivities. That's right. So be ready. We'll be ready next week. Derby time is approaching and we'll be talking about it. Blitz the book you guys. See y'all next week. How are you?