What do we make of that?

I do think it's kind of...

I, I, I think we always tend to jump ahead of what's been established.

Actually, it, it kinda drove me nuts the way, uh, the US beat Paraguay in, in Australia, and then we're already talking about winning the whole thing when there's so many layers left, so many hard, hard tiers to go.

And I sort of think there's a parallel there a bit with him, which is where, um, we, you know, we're so excited about someone, and we, we have this irrational exuberance that hasn't been fulfilled yet.

And, and that's, that's where we are with this, too.

Um, and I don't, I think about irrational exuberance in both cases sometimes, and it's fun.

Yeah

Where have you been? What are you doing in general?

I have been a lot in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, a little bit Connecticut, hanging out with the, uh, diaspora of Cabo Verde or Cape Verde, the, uh, island country, uh, 400 miles off the coast of West Africa that, um, has been the darling of the entire World Cup.

And to be around the, uh, the fans and the people who welcomed the team to the country, uh, back in early June, it was a whole series of events that I went to, has been one of the...

I don't know how, how to rank experiences anymore, but it's been one of the best ones I can ever recall.

And now, of course, their team has drawn with both Spain and Uruguay, and, uh, has a chance to, to make it through to the knockout round, which for the third smallest country in population and second smallest in size ever to qualify for the World Cup is just really, really something.

I wish I had been in, um, Cabo Verde itself, um, because that must be really something.

H- how can this be?

I don't know if we can...

Yeah.

You know, such as Little Haiti in Miami, and, um, I've, I was, been looking at, at, and, you know, the, uh, the populations of, you know, s- immigrants in certain cities to sort of watch the World Cup with them.

I've been thinking about that, and, um, in, in a certain way.

You know, we're trying to figure, pinpoint how to, how to do that, and so that kind of thing.

And then, you know, it, it c- it's a, it's broadly, it's across all sports it looks like, so it's very, it's just very wonderful.

In a minute or two, tell the people about the story you wrote about this man who goes to, this was his 80th consecutive Kentucky Derby.

So in 2020, the Kentucky Derby was a depressing event, which is, usually it's the opposite of depressing at all times.

But it, it, it was the COVID one.

so angry?

I think he, I think it's the perfectionism, probably, and that's, you know, the way they, uh, practice and the way they teach, whatever, is based on these very, very minute details of hand placement, you know, uh, h- helmet placement, and just small, small things, so I, I always look at that and assume that he must be thinking about, you know, whatever tiny detail was just done a f- a fraction of an inch, you know, improperly.

So, I, I, I think that must be it, and he's, he's, (laughs) he's quite a character and I love when he, you know, he'll get a long question and answer with about five or six words, you know, and then, and then let it, let it go at that.

And, um, yeah.

It, the whole thing is...

You know, and you were, we were just talking about the disadvantage of having to wait.

This is another accomplishment that they made.

How do you think Lane Kiffin feels right now?

Is there any way you can see Alabama, even if they win the national championship, uh, Kalen DeBoer would leave and go to Michigan? 'Cause Michigan doesn't have anybody yet.

I think he's a tremendous coach, and maybe even you would say great.

I think he's, like, the kind of coach that sort of goes to a place, uh, and in the most recent case, it was Washington, and, and that suddenly, everything is efficient and everything is, you know, is... that everything is running on time, so to speak.

Um, I cannot see that re- reality at all, especially after the, the win at Oklahoma.

I just, I, I'd be stunned if that happened.

Uh, would it be a good pick for Michigan? I think yes.

Um, but would he do it? I just think that's the kind of thing that sticks with you for, uh, the remainder of your career, really, that you, that you, that you sort of made that leap after a, you know, after a big, you know, crescendo at, at, at Alabama.

It's okay.

Yeah.

... which, which looked to, to, you know, pretty much...

They looked completely doomed, I would say, at that point.

Because not only for that loss itself, because...

But because it suggested that others were coming, and then no more losses came all the way until the national title game on the closing Monday night in January, and where they were, (laughs) you know, within eight points in the fourth quarter, and Ohio State had to do something to, to prevent them from perhaps coming back and taking the thing.

So, I think we're gonna say this time...

And we'll spend a lot of time with the rest of their schedule saying, you know, if they replicate that, and it certainly looks like it's feasible to do so, then we're gonna say, you know, this could mirror last year, and that they might even use the example of last year themselves to, uh, to consider themselves still very much with a reasonable chance to get in.

Yeah.

What do you make of them?

It's almost as if they prefer it.

They prefer sort of...

I don't, I don't think they, you know, slough off in the first half or anything.

I ju- I just think there's something about them where...

And it is fascinating because it sort of, you know, tells us about groups when they get together and collaborate, groups of people.

They all have sort of different tones and tenors and senses about them.

(laughs)

Wow.

And then as for Calipari, I think he's had one of the most confusing careers to figure out. Some of his UMass teams in the early '90s, mid-'90s were exquisitely coached. And the way they played, you know, I think of the two, two guards they had, uh, one year, uh, uh, Tre- Treviño and, um, um, Padilla, and, you know, they were just magnificent to watch it and played so hard. And then some teams that he's had, you know, in recent years he had gotten all the way to 20, 25 while having coached Kentucky before Arkansas and had won only one tournament game, uh, this decade.

Yeah.

And the whole air he carried was one of gratitude and gratefulness. And I think, you know, I, I think he's... I've wondered this since the game on Saturday. It was so intense in there. Um, in some ways the team's trying too hard and, you know, if, if that, if there's such a thing, four for 41 from three point shooting, the, combined, the worst ever in a tournament game. And I've wondered if, um... And, and you could tell it meant a lot to, I think to both coaches, and Pitino just looked distraught afterward and actually felt bad for him. And then, and then, but I wondered if Calipari, you know, when he, when he's by himself, if he's just, you know, ecstatic over this.

Uh-huh.

I, I think the fact that they've run that... They're gonna be the overall number one I think, and I think the fact that they've run that, through that league this year at such a level, and, uh, you know, and they are, uh, they are compelling to watch. I went to their game at Alabama, which they won, and then the two of them played again at Auburn and Alabama won, so these games were just, you know. They, f- for regular season college basketball, which as we know doesn't have the place in the consciousness that it used to have, in the country's consciousness that it used to have, these were, these were just massive, highly entertaining games. So I, I, I think I, I am curious about how f- how far, far Auburn can get with this.

Yo.

So, uh, and, but, um, that story, I'm, I'm f- I'm fascinated by that story of Drake and, and you know, how, how he did that, and, and then the whole pressure of winning the conference during the regular season and getting close to 30 wins, it, then you, you sort of have to go win the conference tournament. I mean, they had a, they had some chance to get in if they didn't, but the pressure of winning the conference tournament always impresses me and as, as I watch these tournaments I always, if a team is going all year... I was watching the Northern Arizona women the other day and a all-year great season, they lose in the semifinals and season's presumably over may-

So the larger question is, is 12 the right number? Or should there be a different number here? And will there be a different number?

I think...

I always thought maybe eight is the best number of all.

And I think 16 is the number we're probably going to get to because, and then we look at that in the lower divisions have had that for that number for a long time.

Oh, is that right? I didn't know that.

Seem to work well.

And so, but the one thing I think that needs reevaluation and we'll get it is what to do about conference champions.

It does not look like Ohio State's going to fire this guy now, does it?