Latest / The Mike Keith Show / The Mike Keith Show | KIM CALDWELL, KAYIN LEE (10.20.26)

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The Mike Keith Show | KIM CALDWELL, KAYIN LEE (10.20.26) · The Mike Keith Show

0:00
SPEAKER_10: From the peaks of the smokies to the banks of the Mississippi.
0:06
SPEAKER_10: This is your home for the University of Tennessee.
0:10
SPEAKER_10: What a boo coaster.
0:12
SPEAKER_10: That doesn't work.
0:13
SPEAKER_11: It's five balls get it.
0:15
SPEAKER_11: It's driven by Orange Stern.
0:19
SPEAKER_11: Big Orange.
0:20
SPEAKER_10: This is the Vall Network.
0:26
SPEAKER_10: Inside Access, behind the scenes.
0:29
SPEAKER_10: From Rocky Top, direct from the coaches.
0:32
SPEAKER_10: Insight from the players.
0:34
SPEAKER_10: The inside track.
0:36
SPEAKER_10: Mike Keith starts now.
0:39
SPEAKER_11: Welcome to the show.
0:41
SPEAKER_11: Excited to have all cornerback Ken Lee stop by.
0:45
SPEAKER_11: A preview of my visit with SEC Associate Commissioner for Men's Basketball, Garth Glissman.
0:51
SPEAKER_11: The T Martin documentary on SEC Network continues to get bigger and bigger.
0:57
SPEAKER_11: I'll talk with the man who directed the episode.
0:59
SPEAKER_11: And Tennessee fans watch the balls beat Alabama around the country and around the globe, including in Tokyo.
1:08
SPEAKER_11: We'll welcome VFL Yoshi Mamoki, who runs a bar in Tokyo.
1:14
SPEAKER_11: But first, let's talk Ladyball basketball with head coach Kim Caldwell.
1:20
SPEAKER_11: Everybody is interested to see the 26-27 Lady Balls.
1:26
SPEAKER_11: How curious are you?
1:28
SPEAKER_18: I get to see them every day.
1:30
SPEAKER_18: So I know I get to know the good parts of them.
1:34
SPEAKER_18: I get to know their personality and how funny they are and genuine they are, and how much they love being at Tennessee and they hang out together on and off the floor, and that has been so special.
1:46
SPEAKER_18: And there's a lot of unknowns still too about who are we gonna be when we face adversity, who are we gonna be when our shots aren't falling, and we'll figure that out in real time with the rest of the world.
1:56
SPEAKER_11: Your schedule.
1:57
SPEAKER_11: I want to start with that.
1:59
SPEAKER_11: Because you had some games that some give backs like somebody was at home last year, and then you've got a challenge game and other things.
2:06
SPEAKER_11: But non-conference, MTSU, at Belmont, UCLA, the Coconut Hoops Tournament, at Virginia Tech, at UConn, Baylor in Nashville.
2:17
SPEAKER_11: And I'm just talking about non-conference.
2:20
SPEAKER_11: Did you set this up intentionally to be tougher for what you're gonna face in the league?
2:26
SPEAKER_18: I think there's only one way to get SEC ready, and that's to play the best opponents you can.
2:32
SPEAKER_18: And to fill your non-conference with opponents that maybe aren't gonna prepare you the way you need to be prepared.
2:38
SPEAKER_18: We're a small team.
2:38
SPEAKER_18: We need to learn some lessons early about rebounding.
2:41
SPEAKER_18: We're gonna we're new.
2:42
SPEAKER_18: We're gonna have to learn some lessons about taking care of the ball, and the only way to do that is play the best opponent you can.
2:47
SPEAKER_18: A lot of those were returns.
2:49
SPEAKER_18: For example, our MTSU one that was a four-year deal before I got here.
2:53
SPEAKER_18: So this is the last end of that.
2:55
SPEAKER_18: So you do do your scheduling years in advance, but I think it is important to play the best, the strongest schedule you can.
3:00
SPEAKER_11: As you look at the makeup of the ball club in terms of where you're gonna have to get answers, you mentioned you're a small team or a smaller team.
3:08
SPEAKER_11: So do you feel like on the opposite end of that, you've got a lot more ball handlers maybe than you had in the past?
3:15
SPEAKER_11: Are you comfortable with people being able to switch in and out of the guard roles?
3:19
SPEAKER_18: We are faster.
3:21
SPEAKER_18: And I think that's what I like about it is we are smaller, but we're gonna make up for that in speed.
3:25
SPEAKER_18: I think we'll be a hard scout for people defensively because we're gonna play so many people on the perimeter and we're gonna be able to drive and kick from multiple positions, and almost every player on our roster can shoot it pretty well.
3:36
SPEAKER_11: How big a factor is Jada Eads and all of that?
3:39
SPEAKER_18: She's huge, she has been out most of the summer, so we're just now getting her.
3:45
SPEAKER_18: I think she's gone for two weeks, not being limited.
3:48
SPEAKER_18: And so she really pushes the pace for us.
3:51
SPEAKER_18: She's tough.
3:52
SPEAKER_18: She on both ends of the floor, she sets the pace because she gets up and she pressures better than anyone we have, and when she has the ball in her hand, she's hard to keep up with.
4:01
SPEAKER_11: Every basketball team has a player that makes them go.
4:04
SPEAKER_11: Is Jada potentially that for the Lady Balls?
4:07
SPEAKER_18: I think for us it's Jada and Kennedy, both of our point guards.
4:10
SPEAKER_18: We're gonna live and die with them in a sense of they have to push pace for us, they have to be able to handle pressure, and we've been on them.
4:17
SPEAKER_18: They have to be able to get people in the right spots, and they have to do it under duress.
4:20
SPEAKER_18: And they've been cutting up film for our team, and they've been putting it doing the actual film session for our entire team.
4:27
SPEAKER_11: Wait a minute.
4:27
SPEAKER_18: Yeah.
4:28
SPEAKER_11: How do you do that?
4:29
SPEAKER_11: We make them I mean, how do you if you're them, how do you come up with that?
4:33
SPEAKER_18: And and what's the literal process of doing that?
4:36
SPEAKER_18: They'll do it with a coach and they'll watch practice and they'll pick the clips that they want to emphasize and where people need to be.
4:42
SPEAKER_18: And the first time they've done it, they it's the majority they're coaching themselves because they don't want to coach their teammates yet, but it's their job to command people.
4:50
SPEAKER_18: They have to know every play from every position, and that's a a really big part for us is making sure our point guards know what they're doing and they have their team's ear, and those film sessions help them do that.
5:01
SPEAKER_11: When you and I talked in the spring, Gabby Minus was somebody you really wanted to talk about because she was a commitment signee, and she chose to go ahead and come to Tennessee after other people did not.
5:14
SPEAKER_11: Metro Atlanta player of the year, really talented.
5:16
SPEAKER_11: I just want to know about her progress at this point to see now that she's here and it's going.
5:22
SPEAKER_11: How has she done and where does she fit?
5:24
SPEAKER_18: I'm so proud of her.
5:26
SPEAKER_18: She has gotten better every single day.
5:28
SPEAKER_18: She plays so hard.
5:30
SPEAKER_18: Our fans are gonna love her, and they're gonna love her because she stayed and because she knew what she wanted, and she knew top to bottom she wanted to be a lady ball, and she stayed with that, and because of how hard she plays, she's on every offensive rebound, she defensive rebounds very well.
5:45
SPEAKER_18: She gives you everything she has.
5:47
SPEAKER_18: She makes some freshman mistakes, but you have to love her through them because she's doing them as hard as she possibly can.
5:53
SPEAKER_11: So let me talk about Fats Jana a little bit.
5:55
SPEAKER_11: Because we met her.
5:56
SPEAKER_11: She's a hoot.
5:58
SPEAKER_11: She is.
5:58
SPEAKER_11: So every time I see her like in the lunchroom or wherever, she still is hollered at me.
6:04
SPEAKER_11: How how much of this team's personality you feel like is coming from this massive life force that is Fats Jana?
6:12
SPEAKER_18: She has a beautiful personality, and it's real, it's authentic.
6:16
SPEAKER_18: It's every day she walks in the gym, the gym gets a little bit louder.
6:20
SPEAKER_18: And it's the majority her, but she's giving everyone a hug every day.
6:24
SPEAKER_18: She will make you hug her if you are like you're sweaty.
6:27
SPEAKER_18: No, she's gonna hug you, she's gonna hug her teammate, she's gonna make sure that the energy is where it needs to be, no matter what room she walks into, and that's such a special trait to have as a person.
6:37
SPEAKER_11: What does she do well overall?
6:39
SPEAKER_18: I think she's gonna be one of the best rebounders in the SEC.
6:42
SPEAKER_18: We are she's a very good three-point shooter.
6:44
SPEAKER_18: We're trying to get her confidence up in her driving ability, but she is a scorer.
6:48
SPEAKER_18: And we're gonna need her to be a scorer for us, more than just a rebounder.
6:52
SPEAKER_18: She's a very underrated defender.
6:54
SPEAKER_18: She can guard multiple positions.
6:56
SPEAKER_18: We gotta keep her out of foul trouble because she she does hack a lot.
6:59
SPEAKER_11: Will this team, in terms of style of play, look more like your year one team?
7:05
SPEAKER_18: I think so.
7:05
SPEAKER_18: We'll be we'll be just as fast in all of our scrimmages right now.
7:09
SPEAKER_18: I think we're averaging 102 points a game.
7:11
SPEAKER_18: Like we are playing fast.
7:12
SPEAKER_18: We've had three three so far.
7:15
SPEAKER_18: And so we are scoring the ball.
7:17
SPEAKER_18: Our defense needs a little work because we're probably giving up the hundred points a game.
7:20
SPEAKER_18: So the pace is where we want it.
7:22
SPEAKER_18: We just need to sit down and guard.
7:24
SPEAKER_11: And conditioning wise.
7:26
SPEAKER_18: I never like where we're at conditioning wise.
7:29
SPEAKER_11: You never're never satisfied.
7:30
SPEAKER_18: I'm never satisfied.
7:31
SPEAKER_18: We're close.
7:31
SPEAKER_18: We don't really need to peek yet.
7:33
SPEAKER_18: We have two more weeks until we start, and so we're just continuing to ramp up practices while managing their load.
7:38
SPEAKER_11: How excited are you to see this team play?
7:41
SPEAKER_18: I love coaching them because they get excited about the things that excite me, which are effortplays.
7:46
SPEAKER_18: We take a charge, the gym is loud.
7:49
SPEAKER_18: We dive on a loose ball, the gym is loud.
7:51
SPEAKER_18: We hit shots, we're happy with that.
7:54
SPEAKER_18: But the things that really make us go are the effort plays, and I think you can win a lot of games with a team that is wired that way.
8:00
SPEAKER_11: Kim Caldwell, thanks for the time.
8:01
SPEAKER_18: Thank you.
8:01
SPEAKER_11: Ladyball head coach Kim Caldwell with us.
8:04
SPEAKER_11: We're back with more right after this.
8:05
SPEAKER_04: It's time for the Rackley Roofing recap.
8:08
SPEAKER_04: Rackley Roofing, transforming the roofing industry and the proud official roofer of the Tennessee Volunteers.
8:15
SPEAKER_12: Hey Ball Nation, it's Sarah Detweiler, and it's time now for the Rackley Roofing recap.
8:20
SPEAKER_12: The number 11 Tennessee football team picked up a massive win on the third Saturday in October, taking down number six Alabama 26-10 in front of a sold-out Neeland Stadium.
8:33
SPEAKER_12: Knoxville native Deshaun Bishop continued an impressive season, rushing for a total of 159 yards and two touchdowns as the Valls earned their third straight home victory over the Crimson Tide.
8:47
SPEAKER_12: Defensively, Tennessee held Alabama to just 201 total yards while forcing four turnovers and recording five sacks.
8:57
SPEAKER_12: The win also marked a historic milestone.
9:00
SPEAKER_12: Tennessee's 900th on-field victory in program history.
9:05
SPEAKER_12: Elsewhere, Tennessee volleyball continued its winning ways on the road, taking down Arkansas in four sets Friday before sweeping Oklahoma on Sunday.
9:16
SPEAKER_12: The Lady Balls have now won five straight matches to improve to 14 and 3 on the season.
9:22
SPEAKER_12: That was the Rackley Roofing Recap.
9:24
SPEAKER_12: Rackley Roofing, transforming the roofing industry and the proud official roofer of the Tennessee Volunteers.
9:31
SPEAKER_10: This is the Mike Keith Show.
9:33
SPEAKER_10: Inside access, delivered by Uber Eats.
9:36
SPEAKER_01: Today's show sponsored by Pilot, official travel stop of the vault.
9:41
SPEAKER_01: See you out here by First Horizon, Big Bank Muscle, Small Bank Hustle.
9:46
SPEAKER_01: By Food City, the official supermarket of the Tennessee Volunteers.
9:50
SPEAKER_01: UT Medical, the official health care provider of the Vault.
9:54
SPEAKER_01: Bradley Roofing, let us fix your lead.
9:57
SPEAKER_01: The proud official roofer of the big orange.
10:00
SPEAKER_01: By Farm Bureau Insurance, the official insurance of the vault.
10:04
SPEAKER_01: Tennessee insurance for Tennessee Life.
10:11
SPEAKER_06: Out of here.
10:13
SPEAKER_06: Passion travels.
10:19
SPEAKER_06: Out of here.
10:21
SPEAKER_06: Passion drives.
10:26
SPEAKER_06: Out of here.
10:29
SPEAKER_06: Passion prevailed.
10:46
SPEAKER_11: Bring on the passion volume.
10:51
SPEAKER_11: And let the capability of the Ford F-150 bring the rest.
11:03
SPEAKER_11: See your local Ford dealer, proud sponsor of Tennessee Athletics.
11:08
SPEAKER_20: Being at the Vols game saved my life.
11:11
SPEAKER_20: It was a normal day going to the game with my son, but this time it felt like a sledgehammer hit my chest.
11:18
SPEAKER_20: The UT medical team knew exactly what they needed to do and just kept me calm throughout the process.
11:24
SPEAKER_20: It was probably the most serious heart attack that you could have.
11:28
SPEAKER_20: The team took care of me, worked quickly, efficiently, and I did catch the end of the game.
11:34
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11:41
SPEAKER_07: Sometimes it starts with protecting the quarterback.
11:44
SPEAKER_13: Sometimes it's holding the rock.
11:46
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11:49
SPEAKER_13: We protect each other.
11:51
SPEAKER_13: We prepare.
11:52
SPEAKER_13: Protection looks different depending on where you stand.
11:55
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12:01
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12:02
SPEAKER_13: Designed to inspire, made to protect, driven to serve.
12:08
SPEAKER_15: On the court, our team plays with both passion and discipline.
12:12
SPEAKER_15: Here, we rely on power and precision to win games.
12:16
SPEAKER_17: For our football team, we bring hardworking hustle and muscle to every matchup.
12:21
SPEAKER_18: Because being the best means bringing the best of big play energy and next play focus, like the folks at First Horizon.
12:28
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12:32
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12:34
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12:39
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12:43
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12:59
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13:05
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13:07
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13:45
SPEAKER_11: Look at that.
13:46
SPEAKER_11: Yeah, thank you.
13:47
SPEAKER_11: Ball cornerback, number 14, interception to end Tennessee, Alabama on Saturday.
13:54
SPEAKER_11: At that point, it was Saturday evening.
13:56
SPEAKER_11: Yes, sir.
13:57
SPEAKER_11: Is that your needling moment to this point?
14:00
SPEAKER_23: I feel like it is.
14:01
SPEAKER_23: Like, that was like a big moment for us as a team, us for Tennessee.
14:06
SPEAKER_23: Uh, I feel like me personally, I never got that win at Auburn versus Bama, but going into that game with the guys I'm lined up with, like, I had a lot of confidence going into that game, like knowing that we're gonna win this game.
14:18
SPEAKER_11: How do you describe the overall day and the game itself and then what happened afterwards?
14:23
SPEAKER_23: Uh they started off waking up, just being blessed with the opportunity to even step on the field.
14:29
SPEAKER_23: Uh, and it was it was go time from the time we woke up to the to the time to the to the time the clock ran out.
14:36
SPEAKER_23: So it was just intense intensity.
14:38
SPEAKER_23: We just wanted to be the most most physical team, be able to go out there and have fun, real, really, really.
14:42
SPEAKER_23: Have you ever had a celebration like that after a win?
14:46
SPEAKER_23: No.
14:46
SPEAKER_23: No, I have not.
14:48
SPEAKER_23: That was one for the books.
14:49
SPEAKER_11: And so are you a cigar smoker ever?
14:53
SPEAKER_11: Have you?
14:53
SPEAKER_23: Uh that was my first time.
14:54
SPEAKER_23: It wasn't it wasn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be, but like it was a lot of smoke in the air, though.
14:59
SPEAKER_23: Like it was a lot of smoke in there.
15:00
SPEAKER_11: Your clothes smell like smoke.
15:02
SPEAKER_11: Yeah, but that's okay.
15:03
SPEAKER_11: To be able to do that with your teammates and seeing just a lot of the pictures from the guys, probably moments that you'll have a chance to cherish forever.
15:12
SPEAKER_23: Most definitely.
15:12
SPEAKER_23: Like, like I said before, like it was a big moment for uh us as a team, first off.
15:17
SPEAKER_23: And for me personally, like I I I couldn't take it in any much more than I probably did.
15:22
SPEAKER_23: Like just being able to see everybody with smiles on their faces, everybody pumped up for the win.
15:26
SPEAKER_23: That's that was all for me.
15:28
SPEAKER_23: Like, that was that was that was it.
15:30
SPEAKER_23: Like, I I couldn't feel any better about that, seeing everybody just enthusiastic about this Tennessee win.
15:35
SPEAKER_11: K and Lee, what is the Tennessee secondary doing so well right now?
15:40
SPEAKER_23: Uh I feel like we're just going out there playing fast.
15:43
SPEAKER_23: I feel like we're playing fast and aggressive.
15:45
SPEAKER_23: So, and we're communicating very well also.
15:48
SPEAKER_23: But with that, that front seven, like that means that that helps us a lot to be able to do that.
15:53
SPEAKER_23: So we couldn't be able to do anything we're doing without them, though.
15:55
SPEAKER_11: The front seven, when you watch them on tape, you're sitting in film, you're watching them on tape.
16:01
SPEAKER_11: What jumps out about the front seven?
16:03
SPEAKER_23: If I had to say one word, it would be chaotic.
16:06
SPEAKER_23: Like they they they're re they're they're they're they're just making things hard for the offensive side of the ball.
16:12
SPEAKER_23: Like, they can't, it's hard for like anything to get started with with them with them front with the front seven in front of their face like that.
16:19
SPEAKER_23: It's hard for the offense to just get anything started.
16:21
SPEAKER_23: So we depend on them a lot.
16:23
SPEAKER_23: Like, like we ride on each other like from teammate to teammate.
16:26
SPEAKER_23: We all got each other's back.
16:27
SPEAKER_23: So, but it starts with them, but that that helps our game a lot in the secondary.
16:31
SPEAKER_23: The cornerback who plays on the other side, Ty Redmond.
16:34
SPEAKER_23: Yes, sir.
16:34
SPEAKER_23: What's special about him?
16:36
SPEAKER_23: Uh he's a young kid that is very intelligent.
16:39
SPEAKER_23: Like, he's a real smart guy.
16:41
SPEAKER_23: And then he he he he real laid back also, but his his game is like he's real technical with his game.
16:47
SPEAKER_23: So like I like that.
16:48
SPEAKER_23: I can take even pieces from him.
16:50
SPEAKER_23: Like, even though he's young, like me being the older guy in the room, I still I still like to learn the game.
16:55
SPEAKER_23: So like seeing things that he's doing like in his game, like I can take pieces from that, like from his technician standpoint.
17:01
SPEAKER_11: He's 6'3 and weighs 205.
17:04
SPEAKER_23: Do you think people don't realize until they get right up on him what a big guy he is to play corner?
17:09
SPEAKER_23: Yeah, you I feel like if you watch the film from the Belma game, like it was a lot of passes that was thrown in his way.
17:14
SPEAKER_23: Like the quarterback had to put air on top of the ball and it ended up being incomplete because of his size.
17:18
SPEAKER_23: Like, it's hard to get a ball over him with his such a long frame and he saw how tall he is.
17:23
SPEAKER_23: What are you doing better, say, than you were in the spring?
17:27
SPEAKER_23: I feel like I'm paying more attention to details.
17:30
SPEAKER_23: Like uh my 44, like before the play, uh, with my eyes, my alignment, uh, my keys and technique, uh, as Coach DJ would say.
17:40
SPEAKER_23: So just having everything like aligned and for me to be able to be in the best position to win every single rep.
17:46
SPEAKER_11: When you were at Auburn, did you play against South Carolina?
17:49
SPEAKER_23: No, I didn't.
17:50
SPEAKER_11: Okay.
17:51
SPEAKER_11: So it's gonna be a different experience, a week that you have to completely learn.
17:55
SPEAKER_11: What is a week like that for you as you try to pull in all that new information?
18:00
SPEAKER_23: Uh I take it the same every week, I feel like.
18:03
SPEAKER_23: I don't change anything up, no matter who the opponent is.
18:06
SPEAKER_23: Like, so I feel like I just gotta have my same routine, watch a film, keeping my body healthy in the training room.
18:12
SPEAKER_23: Uh I probably watch a little bit more film, though, considering I haven't played uh this team before.
18:17
SPEAKER_23: A lot of these teams that we're playing versus now, I done played I done played, so consider I've been in the SEC for four years now.
18:22
SPEAKER_23: But South Carolina, one of the teams I haven't played.
18:24
SPEAKER_23: So paying more attention to detail and the little things that they do is probably gonna help me throughout the game.
18:30
SPEAKER_11: When you go against a team with a running quarterback, which you have for three weeks in a row, and you will this week with Lenora Sellers, does it change your job any?
18:40
SPEAKER_23: Uh I feel like not really.
18:42
SPEAKER_23: I mean, sometimes it can come down to it like covering a little bit longer, but our front seven, like I get back to it, that it that really helps me.
18:50
SPEAKER_23: Like, I don't have to cover for that long.
18:51
SPEAKER_23: They go get after that quarterback.
18:53
SPEAKER_23: I ain't gotta really worry about too much about the quarterback.
18:56
SPEAKER_23: Other than him just throwing me the ball.
18:58
SPEAKER_11: Yeah, there you go.
18:59
SPEAKER_11: Is the defense having as much fun as it looks like it is?
19:03
SPEAKER_23: We're having a lot of fun.
19:04
SPEAKER_23: I'm not gonna lie.
19:05
SPEAKER_23: We we know we're the best in the nation.
19:07
SPEAKER_23: Like, we know that, honestly, with our chest poked out.
19:10
SPEAKER_23: Like, we know we're the best.
19:11
SPEAKER_23: So we go come to practice every week, we go be in the film room every week, the training room every week, and like we're the best.
19:16
SPEAKER_23: Like, we just go keep that going, just flying around the ball fast, physical, and just like gang tackling.
19:23
SPEAKER_23: Like, we just we just have fun out there, honestly.
19:26
SPEAKER_11: I've gotta ask you the question I ask everybody who is here courtesy of pilot.
19:31
SPEAKER_11: Pilot has the best snacks.
19:33
SPEAKER_11: I I like to go in pilot and get one of those big drinks and chips and all kinds of things.
19:39
SPEAKER_11: So if you're going in, and maybe Coach Owings doesn't know what you're gonna have.
19:43
SPEAKER_11: We won't tell him.
19:44
SPEAKER_11: He won't watch this.
19:45
SPEAKER_11: I bet.
19:46
SPEAKER_11: So, what snacks are you gonna get in the off-season, let's say?
19:50
SPEAKER_23: Off season snacks.
19:51
SPEAKER_23: I'm going hot Cheeto Puffs.
19:54
SPEAKER_23: Hot Cheeto Puffs?
19:56
SPEAKER_23: Nice, that's a nice little change.
19:57
SPEAKER_23: I like, I like, I like Jolly Ranchers.
19:59
SPEAKER_23: I'm a Jolly Rancher.
20:01
SPEAKER_23: Which ones?
20:01
SPEAKER_23: Uh I like the red ones.
20:03
SPEAKER_11: Like cherry?
20:04
SPEAKER_11: Cherry.
20:05
SPEAKER_11: Cherry's the best one.
20:06
SPEAKER_23: The best.
20:06
SPEAKER_23: I'll either go to them or airheads.
20:08
SPEAKER_23: Airheads are solid.
20:09
SPEAKER_23: Uh probably some some type of sour patch too.
20:13
SPEAKER_23: And then I said Snapple.
20:15
SPEAKER_23: The Snapple, the drink Snapple, I'll either go orange juice or fruit punch flavor, though.
20:21
SPEAKER_23: Snapple.
20:21
SPEAKER_23: I mean not orange juice, apple juice or fruit punch flavor.
20:24
SPEAKER_23: Nice.
20:25
SPEAKER_23: Snapple.
20:25
SPEAKER_23: That's it.
20:26
SPEAKER_23: Snapples.
20:26
SPEAKER_11: You pulled out some different ones for us for our friends at Pilot.
20:29
SPEAKER_23: Hey, I got the I got the real keys to the You got the keys.
20:32
SPEAKER_23: That's exactly right.
20:33
SPEAKER_23: Hey, sir.
20:34
SPEAKER_23: Proud of you.
20:35
SPEAKER_23: Keep up the good work.
20:36
SPEAKER_23: Appreciate you.
20:36
SPEAKER_11: It's one of the best in the nation himself.
20:38
SPEAKER_11: Cornerback Kayon Lee, number 14 of your Tennessee Volunteers, presented by our friends at Pilot.
20:44
SPEAKER_11: We're back with more of the Mike Keith show right after this.
20:47
SPEAKER_04: Here's a look at the Uber Eats delivery of the game.
20:50
SPEAKER_04: Vol fans, let Uber Eats fuel your game day.
20:54
SPEAKER_04: Use the code GOBIGORNES to get$15 off all orders.
20:58
SPEAKER_04: Uber Eats, the official on-demand delivery partner of the Vols.
21:03
SPEAKER_04: Let's eat.
21:04
SPEAKER_04: Tennessee is third down and one.
21:08
SPEAKER_11: Inside the Alabama five on the right hand.
21:11
SPEAKER_11: 322 remaining.
21:14
SPEAKER_11: Here they go.
21:14
SPEAKER_11: Smokestack.
21:22
SPEAKER_11: Gonna give it to Bishop Rand McClellan.
21:30
SPEAKER_21: Tennessee! Tennessee has been tougher in the second half.
21:44
SPEAKER_21: The last two possessions of Tennessee proves that running the ball right down Alabama stroke.
21:50
SPEAKER_11: Fifteen plays, 72 yards, 932 off the clock.
22:00
SPEAKER_10: Taking you inside the world of Rocky Talk Lightning Show, presented by Uber E.
22:07
SPEAKER_10: Your Fall Network.
22:13
SPEAKER_11: I love to follow as many of the Tennessee alumni chapters on Instagram as possible.
22:18
SPEAKER_11: And if you'd like to follow me on Instagram, I'd appreciate it.
22:21
SPEAKER_11: You can find me at Ten Voice.
22:24
SPEAKER_11: That's at Ten Voice.
22:26
SPEAKER_11: One guy that I definitely keep up with is Yoshi Mamoki, owner of Tokyo's good old Tennessee Bar.
22:35
SPEAKER_11: Every vol who makes it to Tokyo has to go see Yoshi, a 1993 UT grad who shared his story recently while in Knoxville.
22:46
SPEAKER_11: The good old Tennessee bar in Tokyo, Japan is yours.
22:52
SPEAKER_11: Many Vol fans know all about it.
22:54
SPEAKER_11: And I want to talk about that in a second.
22:56
SPEAKER_11: But first of all, welcome back to campus.
22:58
SPEAKER_11: Thank you.
22:59
SPEAKER_11: Alright, so you graduated from here in 1993.
23:03
SPEAKER_11: You're from Japan.
23:05
SPEAKER_11: How did you get to the University of Tennessee to start with?
23:08
SPEAKER_22: First of all, I failed the Japanese University Interest exam.
23:13
SPEAKER_22: And then decided to extend my academic career in the USA instead.
23:23
SPEAKER_22: So I had to look up the printed reference called Studyable Journal.
23:27
SPEAKER_22: And I found that recently University of Tennessee innovative library, the Hajj Library.
23:33
SPEAKER_11: I remember when it opened.
23:34
SPEAKER_22: It opened while I was a student.
23:36
SPEAKER_22: You see?
23:36
SPEAKER_22: So 1986, it was renovated.
23:39
SPEAKER_22: I went there in 1988.
23:41
SPEAKER_22: So I thought, you know, 200,000 books already.
23:43
SPEAKER_22: I thought I could do research on campus.
23:45
SPEAKER_22: So I picked it up.
23:46
SPEAKER_22: So I didn't know about Rocky Tall volunteers, but fall of 1988.
23:50
SPEAKER_22: I went to Neiland Stadium.
23:52
SPEAKER_22: That was the day I fell in love with volunteers.
23:56
SPEAKER_11: That and Southern hospitality.
23:59
SPEAKER_11: You had an experience after your first semester.
24:04
SPEAKER_11: You couldn't go home for Christmas.
24:06
SPEAKER_11: And you actually went home with somebody in Middle Tennessee.
24:11
SPEAKER_11: Yes.
24:11
SPEAKER_11: Do I have that right?
24:12
SPEAKER_22: Yes.
24:13
SPEAKER_11: What happened?
24:13
SPEAKER_22: I didn't know that my dormitory in Midrose Hall um was closed during the Christmas break.
24:20
SPEAKER_22: And I talked to the one and a friend that, oh, I don't have any place to stay.
24:25
SPEAKER_22: And then he talked about it with his girlfriend on the on the whole tower.
24:30
SPEAKER_22: And the girlfriend's uh roommate, she offered me to stay.
24:36
SPEAKER_22: And I went there in the Nashville.
24:39
SPEAKER_22: There was a Christmas treat.
24:40
SPEAKER_22: Under the Christmas, there were so many gifts.
24:42
SPEAKER_22: And I was like, Oh, I didn't bring anything.
24:46
SPEAKER_22: I feel so kind of isolated, right?
24:48
SPEAKER_22: And then after they started after I finished exchange of gifts, I saw one small gift.
24:56
SPEAKER_22: Oh, this is for you, Yoshi.
25:00
SPEAKER_22: And I opened up, and then that was uh uh old spice cologne that I never used, but courtesy matters, right?
25:07
SPEAKER_22: Sure.
25:07
SPEAKER_22: Yeah, so that's why.
25:09
SPEAKER_22: Then I later on I learned that that was southern hospitality, you know, taking care of the guests as if he or she is a part of the devil family.
25:17
SPEAKER_22: And I was so moved by that kindness and courtesy, and then that's even more I liked Tennessee.
25:28
SPEAKER_22: So that stuck with you as much as going to Neyland Stadium.
25:31
SPEAKER_22: Kinda.
25:32
SPEAKER_11: So you finish in 1993, and then 31 years later, you opened a good old Tennessee bar in Tokyo.
25:42
SPEAKER_11: What led you to decide to open up a Tennessee themed bar in Tokyo?
25:48
SPEAKER_22: The five years in Tennessee, I'm pretty much Dylan Oxwell.
25:51
SPEAKER_22: It became the golden age to me.
25:53
SPEAKER_22: Always, you know, motivating myself, even the difficult time of my year.
25:57
SPEAKER_22: I've been working as marketing, you know, for over two decades, but uh my mother passed away at the age of 64, 16 years ago.
26:05
SPEAKER_22: That's okay.
26:06
SPEAKER_22: That was a game changer.
26:07
SPEAKER_22: I thought, oh, life is too short.
26:09
SPEAKER_22: And then started thinking, what should I do before I die?
26:12
SPEAKER_22: And then seven years ago, I came up with an idea to open up Tennessee bar because I want to show my appreciation to the state and the university I love.
26:22
SPEAKER_11: All right, so what's the menu like?
26:24
SPEAKER_11: Is it is it bar food?
26:26
SPEAKER_22: Yes, bar food.
26:27
SPEAKER_22: Since I'm the kind of only one to serve the food and you know drinks, my staple is chili.
26:33
SPEAKER_22: I imagine myself.
26:34
SPEAKER_22: How did you learn to make chili?
26:36
SPEAKER_22: Well, actually, after I decided to open the bar, I look, you know, the search for the internet that you know, classic recipe, whatever classic, sure.
26:44
SPEAKER_22: You know, I remember how it why is that you know, how's that the best one?
26:48
SPEAKER_22: And try some combination.
26:50
SPEAKER_22: I figured out this is the best combination.
26:53
SPEAKER_22: And then what about you know, I get the reaction that oh, this tastes good, you know, better than my mom's.
26:59
SPEAKER_22: And that's the kind of coffee mess I wanted to have.
27:02
SPEAKER_11: What is the breakdown between Americans who visit your bar and Japanese, and then I guess expats from all over the world?
27:10
SPEAKER_22: Yes, around 70% from United States, there are tourists, and uh, out of 70%, I would say 85 to 90 percent from Tennessee.
27:21
SPEAKER_11: So it's become a uh congregating spot.
27:24
SPEAKER_11: Yes, everybody talks about the incredible memorabilia that you have in the bar.
27:29
SPEAKER_11: Where did you get most of it?
27:31
SPEAKER_22: Most of them you know gets brought over themselves, but favorable things is from T Martin himself.
27:38
SPEAKER_22: T Martin.
27:39
SPEAKER_22: Yes, T Martin signed Mini Helmet and sent it to me from Baltimore.
27:43
SPEAKER_22: He used to be the uh coach, uh yeah, quarterback coach for the uh Reverend, so he sent me to me.
27:51
SPEAKER_11: So you're always looking for good stuff.
27:53
SPEAKER_11: Yes, when the games are off, time change is obviously very different.
27:57
SPEAKER_11: Are you able to show many of the games?
28:00
SPEAKER_11: Do they do they match up with your bar hours?
28:03
SPEAKER_22: For example, kickoff at one o'clock or something.
28:06
SPEAKER_22: It's gonna be 2 a.m.
28:08
SPEAKER_22: at Japan, so technically I could, but too tough.
28:13
SPEAKER_22: Yes.
28:13
SPEAKER_22: My bar.
28:15
SPEAKER_22: I replay the highlights of the game we won't only.
28:19
SPEAKER_22: So in my bar, Tennessee never loses.
28:21
SPEAKER_22: Tennessee never loses.
28:24
SPEAKER_11: In Yoshi Bamoki's bar.
28:26
SPEAKER_11: That is so I like that.
28:27
SPEAKER_11: All right, Yoshi.
28:28
SPEAKER_11: It is so good to have you here.
28:30
SPEAKER_11: Thank you so much.
28:31
SPEAKER_11: What an honor to have you on the Mike Keith show.
28:33
SPEAKER_11: Oh, and then last thing.
28:35
SPEAKER_11: Uh-oh.
28:36
SPEAKER_22: So is that chili?
28:40
SPEAKER_11: Oh, nice! I love it.
28:43
SPEAKER_11: Okay, he's got the coaster from the good old Tennessee bar.
28:47
SPEAKER_11: I'll show it to this camera so you can see it.
28:50
SPEAKER_11: There it is.
28:50
SPEAKER_11: The coaster.
28:51
SPEAKER_11: Man, look at this.
28:52
SPEAKER_11: And a shirt.
28:53
SPEAKER_11: Thank you so much.
28:54
SPEAKER_11: You are so kind to do this.
28:57
SPEAKER_11: And so kind to do our show.
28:59
SPEAKER_11: Thanks so much.
28:59
SPEAKER_11: Go Vols.
29:00
SPEAKER_11: Go Vols.
29:01
SPEAKER_11: Yes.
29:01
SPEAKER_11: Yoshimuboki, the good old Tennessee bar in Tokyo, Japan.
29:06
SPEAKER_11: When you visit, you gotta go see this ball.
29:09
SPEAKER_11: VFL.
29:10
SPEAKER_11: Or the Mike Keith show delivered by Uber Eats right after this.
29:14
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29:21
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29:24
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29:27
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29:32
SPEAKER_01: By Pilot, official travel stop of the vault.
29:35
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29:36
SPEAKER_01: By Rackley Roofing, let us get your lead, the proud official roofer of the Big Horn.
29:42
SPEAKER_01: And by UT Medical, the official health care provider of the vault.
30:02
SPEAKER_14: Different seasons.
30:07
SPEAKER_17: For over 30 years, Vall Nation has shown up.
30:11
SPEAKER_17: Now it's time to finish strong.
30:13
SPEAKER_17: Sort aluminum, sort plastic, keep landfills clean.
30:17
SPEAKER_17: And when you see green compost bins on campus, use them.
30:21
SPEAKER_17: Because the future is zero.
30:23
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30:25
SPEAKER_14: Sponsored by Eastman, Waste Connections, UT Sustainability, and Food City.
30:32
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30:36
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31:15
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31:17
SPEAKER_11: Saturdays are all about the big art.
31:20
SPEAKER_11: From the roar of Neeland Stadium to the energy of the tailgate, one thing belongs on every anything menu.
31:27
SPEAKER_11: Calhoun.
31:28
SPEAKER_11: Whether you're dining in one of Calhoun's nine-area restaurant locations, taking the beast to your tailgate, or grabbing a bike from one of Calhoun's locations inside Nealand Stadium.
31:38
SPEAKER_11: Calhoun's ways it easy so you can focus on curing the balls to victory.
31:43
SPEAKER_11: Calhoun tweets me.
32:07
SPEAKER_17: Let the professional scientists do the work for you.
32:09
SPEAKER_17: Just set a pickup time and your groceries will be ready.
32:12
SPEAKER_17: Try to set a pickup at food city today.
32:18
SPEAKER_08: The future doesn't stand still.
32:20
SPEAKER_08: It moves in the work that starts before sunrise, in the businesses that keep Tennessee running, and in the people building what comes next.
32:29
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32:31
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32:44
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32:47
SPEAKER_17: In Big Orange Country, we live for big moments, but we know there are surprises along the way.
32:53
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33:12
SPEAKER_16: Tennessee Insurance for Tennessee life.
33:15
SPEAKER_11: Not funny, guys.
33:20
SPEAKER_11: If you have enjoyed SEC's storied in the past, you will certainly enjoy 7T.
33:27
SPEAKER_11: The story of T Martin and the 1998 Tennessee National Championship football team.
33:33
SPEAKER_11: It came out on October 1st, and Vol fans everywhere have been raving about it.
33:38
SPEAKER_11: Spencer Barry made his directoral debut with 17 and took the time to discuss it with me recently.
33:46
SPEAKER_11: Now I want to read this off the release.
33:48
SPEAKER_11: The latest SEC storied 17, presented by Southwest Airlines, tells the story of Tomaris T.
33:56
SPEAKER_11: Martin and the team that refused to let outside expectations define them.
34:04
SPEAKER_11: That seemed like an outstanding way to put it.
34:29
SPEAKER_07: I actually kind of stumbled upon the story, if you will, while producing uh another SEC story called True Character, which was about Brandon Burlsworth and that 98th season and his you know untimely uh death prior to joining Peyton Manning on the the cults.
34:49
SPEAKER_07: And and during that game, obviously the the Arkansas game was was heavily focused on in that film.
34:55
SPEAKER_07: And one of the beautiful things about sports is you know one side of the coin is devastating, and the other side of the coin can be the birth of something beautiful.
35:05
SPEAKER_07: So in looking at that, you know, I said, wait a minute, was was Peyton Manning the the quarterback of this 98 Tennessee team?
35:14
SPEAKER_07: And I myself was was ignorant, you know, and I I said, oh Peyton Manning must have been this, the 90s, you know.
35:21
SPEAKER_07: And the the more I looked into it and said, hey, who's this this T Martin guy?
35:26
SPEAKER_07: You know?
35:27
SPEAKER_07: And uh the more I dug and the more I talked to teammates and people around that team, you know, everybody just said, T Martin is salt of the earth, right?
35:37
SPEAKER_07: Uh the best guy, and and you you gotta meet him, but you gotta talk to him.
35:41
SPEAKER_07: And as soon as I did, I just realized, you know, his story needed to be told.
35:45
SPEAKER_11: For this to be your directoral debut in this role, and for people who don't know your background, I mean, you've come up through the ranks through ESPN, you've you've you've worked a long way to get there.
35:57
SPEAKER_11: Do you have to pitch this as an idea?
36:00
SPEAKER_11: Do you have to sell it?
36:01
SPEAKER_11: How long does it take?
36:03
SPEAKER_07: I started at ESPN, who date myself a good 14 years ago when 30 for 30, you know, really uh was in its second volume, and I've had the pleasure to work on uh a lot of really great stories.
36:16
SPEAKER_07: And uh, you know, part of 30 for 30 is there's some there's some big names attached to uh a lot of those directors.
36:23
SPEAKER_07: So that's kind of how our process works throughout the the whole film's team, is as you you do certainly, you know, pitch your idea and we go through a full development process.
36:35
SPEAKER_07: Uh, because as you can imagine, there's a lot of people who want to tell a lot of sports stories.
36:39
SPEAKER_07: And our development team is phenomenal.
36:42
SPEAKER_07: They get hundreds, if not thousands, of pitches, you know, a month.
36:45
SPEAKER_07: But as far as uh SEC storied goes and 17, uh, we have a great relationship with the conference and obviously with all of the member schools.
36:56
SPEAKER_07: So, you know, we really have an open dialogue with uh, you know, a lot of the members to say, hey, you know, we've got a pitch deck of right now, probably a good 50 stories that you know we can't wait to tell and will continue to do so.
37:10
SPEAKER_07: So uh, as I said, when I saw this kind of other side of the coin during the the true character documentary, uh it was a story that I pitched uh you know for really wanting to tell.
37:21
SPEAKER_07: And I'm I'm glad I got the opportunity to do so.
37:23
SPEAKER_07: And as I said, I can't thank you know T Martin enough for for being such a genuine guy and and the conversations that that we had.
37:31
SPEAKER_07: I just knew this was was such a powerful story that I don't think a lot of people knew.
37:35
SPEAKER_07: And kind of as you said, when you were reading the the byline earlier, there was a lot of layers there to a very complicated story.
37:42
SPEAKER_07: So it wasn't just a simple, hey, 1998, Tennessee, you know, they went undefeated and and won the first BCS.
37:50
SPEAKER_07: This really was uh a full, you know, recipe of Peyton Manning leaving, this team being overlooked, and and having a lot of different elements to the story, indeed, with a lot of really great games like the Syracuse game, the Florida game, the Arkansas game, and then obviously the the first BCS national championship.
38:09
SPEAKER_11: T Martin's upbringing was something that clearly you felt like was part of this story.
38:17
SPEAKER_11: Why?
38:17
SPEAKER_07: The first thing T told me when we met was he was a very humble guy and is a very humble guy, and you you definitely you picked that up from meeting his friends and family, but he said, Hey, I I don't want to make this all about me, right?
38:29
SPEAKER_07: This is about the brotherhood of that team.
38:31
SPEAKER_07: But in talking to T and meeting his family, you understand that, you know, his story is why he was so well positioned to take over a leadership position after Peyton Manning left.
38:45
SPEAKER_07: You know, I think Chris Lowe, who was uh a great interview for our film, really summised it well when he said, when all these things happened to T, when he first got to Tennessee, waiting a year, having Peyton come back, you know, that paled into comparison to what T had overcome as a kid growing up uh in Mobiles.
39:04
SPEAKER_07: So his story was not only a miraculous story, but you know, it was fundamental to who he is.
39:13
SPEAKER_07: I mean, you need his mother, his grandmother is just one of my favorite people uh on planet Earth.
39:18
SPEAKER_07: Just such a close-knit, caring family who, you know, had some troubles growing up and did the best that they could.
39:26
SPEAKER_07: And like I said, you just you see the way T.
39:29
SPEAKER_07: Martin is.
39:30
SPEAKER_07: Uh, his childhood was directly, you know, foundational to who he is.
39:35
SPEAKER_07: I mean, his story about discovering or being discovered is something out of a Hallmark movie, if you will, where he's just kind of outplaying, he's new to the neighborhood, and you know, he's walking around a park, and it just so happens to be there's a youth football practice, and the ball, as I said, something out of the movie, just stumbles over by his feet, he picks it up, throws it like a rope, and everybody kind of just stops and says, Who is this kid?
40:03
SPEAKER_07: You know, and it just kind of became, as I think T said, really kind of raised by a community, you know, whether it was his youth coach Henry Pugh to his grandmother to you know the Boys and Girls Club, it was a full community that really rallied behind T and set him up for success.
40:20
SPEAKER_11: That team had enough individuals and stories that you could have chosen several other angles to go with and made an interesting documentary about the 1998 Falls.
40:33
SPEAKER_11: What do you think some of those angles stories people, just if you'd give a couple that you found fascinating as you sought to tail this overall tale, tying it directly into T Martin?
40:45
SPEAKER_07: Yeah, I mean, I I think Billy Ratliff jumps off as just the top of my head.
40:49
SPEAKER_07: I feel like you could kind of do a whole story about uh Billy.
40:52
SPEAKER_07: He was he was one of my my favorite interviews, uh, once again, just a a great guy and kind of has an interesting background.
41:00
SPEAKER_07: And and from talking to him, kind of hearing stories about, he told us a phenomenal story about when he first arrived at campus, he was kind of homesick and was sneaking out to drive back to I think Mississippi.
41:10
SPEAKER_07: But obviously the the defensive side of the ball uh was was such a a stacked roster.
41:16
SPEAKER_07: But you had a lot of characters on that side.
41:19
SPEAKER_07: But as I said, I think Billy Ratliff probably would have been my favorite, obviously, with with his impact during the Arkansas game there.
41:25
SPEAKER_07: I mean, uh, you know, a lot of people will look at that moment as as probably one of the most pivotal moments in in college football history.
41:33
SPEAKER_07: And he had his two hands on it literally, uh, to help cause that fumble uh in the Arkansas game.
41:39
SPEAKER_11: Been involved in a couple of projects like that.
41:42
SPEAKER_11: And I know one of the hardest things is deciding what to put in and what to leave out.
41:48
SPEAKER_11: And some of the things you leave out in a role like yours, it breaks your heart.
41:54
SPEAKER_11: Are there are there stories that you would have liked to have gone deeper into or told about T Martin or about this team or this overall story that you were like, look, we can't do six hours.
42:08
SPEAKER_11: We can we've got it, we've got a time limit here.
42:11
SPEAKER_07: It's funny.
42:12
SPEAKER_07: Um, I guess I I have the the blessing of of being uh producer and director at ESPN, so I have a little bit more leeway, but to your point, the the film was originally supposed to be an hour, and we got into you know production and edit, and uh, you know, I I I begged, I pleaded, and and I was lucky enough to to get the opportunity to tell this story in in 90 minutes.
42:35
SPEAKER_07: Uh and even then, as you said, there's there's so many uh stories that get let off.
42:40
SPEAKER_07: I I sat in this chair and my heart broke a couple times telling some stories.
42:44
SPEAKER_07: The the one thing that I'll say, and it's not a specific story, but the 998 team, Peerless Price, Fred White, Billy Ratliff, T, they're hilarious guys.
42:55
SPEAKER_07: Uh, this film was was almost like uh it could have been, and it's so many I had to cut.
43:01
SPEAKER_07: Just hilarious stories, one-liners.
43:04
SPEAKER_07: You know, Fred White told us a story about before the national championship game, uh, you know, there was kind of, as he put it, a gag order of you can't talk about FSU.
43:14
SPEAKER_07: Like we're gonna sit here and and we're all gonna be behave, right?
43:18
SPEAKER_07: And I guess one player did uh, I guess, get into a little bit of a public drawing match or made a comment to a reporter or whatnot.
43:25
SPEAKER_07: And Coach Fulmer sent him home on a bus before the game.
43:30
SPEAKER_07: And Fred White jokes, I don't even know if this player had time to see the game because he was on a bus from Arizona to Knoxville.
43:38
SPEAKER_07: Um there were just so many great stories, and even joking about T's record setting game uh of going 23 out of 24 against South Carolina, uh, and the the unnamed receiver who who dropped the ball, you know, Peerless and Fred were just kind of going on these great stories about them kind of razzing him after or whatnot.
43:58
SPEAKER_07: Um, but there were There were too many uh, you know, just phenomenal stories from the locker room and and from that brotherhood.
44:05
SPEAKER_07: And it is a shame to have, you know, not been able to go down that route.
44:10
SPEAKER_07: But I think what was really important to us and to myself, uh, kind of going back to the beginning of T of talking about that brotherhood and and about that season, is to have touched on all of those games.
44:22
SPEAKER_07: You know, we we could have um have shrunk a lot of those and glazed over, but uh I'm hoping the the volunteer fans uh appreciated that that we really wanted to take you through each of those games, um, especially because, like I said, a lot of them you'll see a 13-0 season and say, okay, Tennessee blew out all their opponents, they ran away with it.
44:42
SPEAKER_07: But outside of a of a couple monumental wins, there was there was drama in in each one of those games.
44:48
SPEAKER_07: The the champ, the SEC championship game, the national championship game, the Georgia game.
44:53
SPEAKER_07: I mean, each game truly was uh its own feature, if you will.
44:57
SPEAKER_11: What are you most proud of about this Spencer Barry?
45:00
SPEAKER_07: I think I'm most proud of getting uh Tita to kind of have some recognition.
45:06
SPEAKER_07: You know, I know he has his statue out front alongside a lot of other trailblazers, but as I said, my myself having worked at ESPN, uh, I wasn't aware of T Martin and just kind of his accomplishments uh on the field and to that 98 team.
45:22
SPEAKER_07: And having been to Knoxville and been to some games, I love seeing the 98 jerseys.
45:28
SPEAKER_07: And uh I'm hoping they they get some some updated ones with uh championship soon.
45:33
SPEAKER_07: But that being their last championship, uh, I'm just most proud of really giving recognition to that brotherhood and and and paying, getting them their championship dues.
45:42
SPEAKER_11: SEC storied 17 about T Martin and the 1998 Vol National Championship team debuted a week ago.
45:51
SPEAKER_11: How can people still have a chance to take it in and watch it?
45:55
SPEAKER_07: So the great thing is we we have uh tons of re-airs across SEC network and ESPN, um, but it's also lives permanently streaming on the ESPN app.
46:04
SPEAKER_07: So uh if you have ESPN through a cable prescriber uh provider, you can log into the ESPN app and you can watch it anytime, anywhere.
46:13
SPEAKER_07: Uh and if you don't have ESPN through cable, then just like any other streaming service, you can sign up for ESPN and it's at your fingertips.
46:20
SPEAKER_11: It is a beautiful piece of work.
46:22
SPEAKER_11: So well done, and something that uh I know you're very proud of, and you certainly should be very proud of.
46:29
SPEAKER_11: Spitzerberry, thanks for coming on the show and telling us about it.
46:32
SPEAKER_07: Thank you so much for having me.
46:33
SPEAKER_07: I appreciate it.
46:34
SPEAKER_11: We've got more of the Mike Keith Show coming up right after this.
46:41
SPEAKER_10: One-on-one from Rocky Top.
46:44
SPEAKER_10: It's your Vall Network.
46:50
SPEAKER_11: If you missed any edition of the Mike Keith Show, remember you can always find them at the Tennessee Athletics YouTube channel.
46:57
SPEAKER_11: Actually, we'd love it if you became a subscriber.
47:00
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47:06
SPEAKER_11: You can also listen to the show via podcast.
47:09
SPEAKER_11: Find it at Apple, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts.
47:14
SPEAKER_11: Every Friday, we feature the big interview on the Mike Keith Show, presented by Clayton Holmes, Love Homes, and Oakwood Homes of Tennessee.
47:23
SPEAKER_11: This Friday, some serious hoops talk with SEC Associate Commissioner for Men's Basketball, Garth Elizabeth.
47:32
SPEAKER_11: SEC basketball used to kind of be a sidecar.
47:35
SPEAKER_11: Let's face it.
47:36
SPEAKER_11: As a matter of fact, from 2012 through 2017, the SEC earned a total of 23 NCAA tournament bids.
47:50
SPEAKER_11: So that means six years, 23 teams made the NCAA tournament.
47:55
SPEAKER_11: So the SEC was earning four bids per year in that six-year period.
48:01
SPEAKER_11: In the last two years alone, the SEC has totaled 24 bids, 14 in 2025, and 10 this past spring.
48:12
SPEAKER_11: Garth Glissman.
48:14
SPEAKER_11: What has happened to raise the tide of SEC basketball to the top of the NCAA from where it was?
48:22
SPEAKER_09: Well, those are great statistics, Mike.
48:25
SPEAKER_09: And first let me point out that our two-year average of 12 teams in the NCAA tournament in each of the last two years, which is the conference's only two seasons as a 16-member league, that tops the prior single season record for most teams in the tournament for one conference all time.
48:45
SPEAKER_09: And that was set by the Big East in 2011.
48:48
SPEAKER_09: So to put it in perspective, the prior all-time record for most teams from one conference to make the N Subway tournament was the Big East in 2011 with 11 teams.
48:59
SPEAKER_09: And in the last two years, we've averaged 12 teams per year.
49:04
SPEAKER_09: So it really has been a historic stretch for the SEC.
49:09
SPEAKER_09: And as to your question, the why and and how it came to be, uh Commissioner Sange deserves a lot of credit.
49:17
SPEAKER_09: Uh, I think he is open about the fact that when he uh took over as commissioner, basketball was was not in a great place outside of uh, frankly, Kentucky and Florida.
49:29
SPEAKER_09: There had been some teams that had performed well at the at the very top of the league, but the depth uh was not up to the SEC standards.
49:38
SPEAKER_09: And so Commissioner Sankey just methodically built um the league up.
49:44
SPEAKER_09: I give a lot of credit to my predecessors.
49:47
SPEAKER_09: Uh, he made a great hire in Dan Liebovitz, who's my predecessor.
49:51
SPEAKER_09: Uh, he also um just I think invested uh more time and energy uh in basketball, including the officiating program, encouraged schools to make investments uh in basketball coaches.
50:04
SPEAKER_09: And so what that has led to is a league that now uh has the strongest group of head coaches in the country.
50:10
SPEAKER_09: And so it's head coaches uh have played a pivotal role in the SEC's ascent in basketball, but it's a combination of factors that allow our schools to make the necessary investment and head coaches to attract that type of talent.
50:24
SPEAKER_09: And also think the overall ascent of the conference as a whole has been beneficial.
50:29
SPEAKER_09: You you see the just across the SEC, our schools are flourishing academically, enrollment is seemingly setting records at each institution every year.
50:39
SPEAKER_09: We've had enormous success in football.
50:42
SPEAKER_09: That's generated a lot of cultural and financial momentum that has allowed schools uh to invest in men's basketball, and now we're we're starting to reap some of the benefits.
50:53
SPEAKER_11: And your belief, too, is some of the growth of this part of the country is a huge part of it.
51:00
SPEAKER_09: Absolutely.
51:00
SPEAKER_09: Uh, one of my favorite statistics is that in recent years, for the first time in recorded American history, that the southeastern part of the United States actually generated more in GDP than the Northeastern corridor from New York City to Boston.
51:14
SPEAKER_09: And when you think about Wall Street and kind of the traditional uh Northeast and what that's meant uh for economic productivity, to think that the center of gravity has now shifted to the Southeast.
51:26
SPEAKER_09: And not only has there been a lot of you know economic growth, we've seen population growth, and there's also this cultural phenomenon associated with the SEC that people want to live in the Southeast.
51:40
SPEAKER_09: And even for those people who don't live in the Southeast, they want to send their kids to go to school in the SEC because they know it's a one-of-a-kind college experience.
51:50
SPEAKER_11: That's SEC Associate Commissioner for Men's Basketball, Garth Glisprin.
51:55
SPEAKER_11: Our big interview this Friday, sponsored by Clayton Homes, Love Homes, and Oakwood Homes of Tennessee, helping families all over the state find their dream home.
52:07
SPEAKER_11: That does it for this edition of the Mike Keith Show.
52:10
SPEAKER_11: For our Five Ball Network staff, Mike Keith.
52:13
SPEAKER_11: Thanks for joining us.
52:14
SPEAKER_11: And we'll see you next time.
52:17
SPEAKER_10: All week long to the latest on the Tennessee Catholic Mike Keith Show.