Boomo Bugg Show 061126

[0:00] Now, get ready to roll Shoals, Decatur, Athens and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the tie, Tigers, Tennessee and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Good afternoon and welcome in to the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us a free ride around the Tennessee Valley. Brett Beaird, welcome in where the latest poll is out and Alabama cracks the top two on the rate to hate list.

Good afternoon, welcome in and how are you? Happy Thursday. Somehow that doesn't surprise me too much. Ira Miles will talk about some big changes coming to Florence City Schools and Athletics a little bit later. Joe Bailey previews the upcoming Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame inductions. But Bill is here right now to talk about a travesty in college football involving Texas Tech in its top college football coaching rankings. You know, the thing about Bill is Bill shows up in my mailbox on a daily basis and he shows up here on our show when he's not busy as the man with the sporting news.

Bill Bender, welcome in. How are you? On that rate to hate list, is there a new school moving up to number one that we might have to update given what's happening this week? Exactly. That's good. That's good. Touche, Bill. It used to be that a team that is pretty familiar down here and a team pretty familiar with you up there. Matter of fact, Bill, you may be the only one that likes Notre Dame according to this list. They beat out Alabama. They made Alabama mad because now they are considered by this poll anyway until Texas Tech.

The most hated team in the country just ahead of Alabama. This is a fun list, Bill. I went to Catholic school for 12 years. I'm not allowed to hate Notre Dame, so it's forbidden. I can hear some of my teachers hearing me talk right now. But, no, I think, you know, obviously there are reasons for that with Notre Dame. Alabama's mostly associated with winning and having a dynasty that was comparable to the Patriots. I honestly thought Ohio State would be rated higher, you know, same reasons as Alabama.

They're kind of the Alabama up here where when you've dominated the Big Ten, at least, and been a major player in college football for pretty much my entire adult life, you know, they have their fair share of haters, too. Did Michigan get mad because after them at two, Ohio State was third, Michigan's fourth. Are Michigan fans mad about Ohio State beating them there, too? You know what? Hey, when I lived down in Charlotte, which was close, you know, I lived right on the South Carolina border.

So we had friends that lived in SEC country. And they pretty much equally, there was kind of equally spread out hated Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State. And there was different reasons why. But, you know, I understand that. Those are the three major programs I've written about and talked about for most of my life. So, yeah, I understand it. I mean, up here, I would say there's no SEC program that people in Ohio, I wouldn't say they, I think it's just a collective thing, right? Like, they're just not fans of the SEC.

It was Alabama for quite a long time, like everybody else, though. The topic de jure this week, as you wrote about, is Brendan Soarsby, the injunction the judge gave him, now, quote, suspended for two games. And all of the pushback on this, in fact, Texas Tech has basically doubled down on supporting him. The coach yesterday saying, well, he didn't kill anybody. And then the conference, then they're saying, well, if the conference comes back and wants to punish us, we're going to sue them. I thought you had a very reasonable article this week on the sporting news.

I'm going to give you the floor for a few minutes to talk a little bit about this. Your thoughts? Well, I mean, we can share it. Because, I mean, Fred, I could talk in logic and sense and all of the things that you should be in this situation. It just has gone all out the door. I think, like myself, like others, was stunned when the injunction was granted. And then equally stunned at kind of the reaction. Now, Texas Tech has certainly gone on the offensive. That's Kirby Hokut, Cody Campbell, Joey McGuire yesterday, the touchdown club.

I just think, at the end of the day, they'd have to look in a mirror and say, and Alabama and Ohio State, everybody's stumped for that athlete at some point in time. Right? We all have. You know, it's not that big a deal. He did the one thing you can't do in sports, though. He just bet on his team. And I don't know if a two-game suspension is enough. And I'll stand on that. I really believe that I don't – if it was – now that I've had some time to think about it, if it was like a six-game or an eight-game or a nine-game suspension, maybe we could have a conversation.

[5:27] Well, and, of course, you know, I think part of the logic, I think that's part of – one of the reasons people have problems with it is – two things on it, Bill. We've talked about this this week. It's the precedent set going forward. You know this is not going to be the last time this happens. So what kind of punishment, if any, are you going to dole out down the road? And it's just like this NIL when it started out, kids were getting NIL deals to sell tea, and now they're getting millions.

So where does this stop? And the other thing, you know, was that the kids said, well, at least I don't know if the kid, but the defense was, well, he would suffer mentally. Of course he's going to suffer mentally. No one's going to diminish mental health. But if that's the case, and we see this in politics and across the board, when they get in a corner, that's one of the first lines of defense they use, you say, okay, I feel sorry for you. But here's the deal.

Instead of you focusing on a football career, we're going to take you away from that and put you in therapy so you can get some help. You can't do football, but we're going to take care of your mental health issues. And then what would the defense be at that point? Well, that's the structure of reason. That's the whole point. Where do you stop it? Right, and look, I don't know how to say this other than to just say it. Like, I lived in a house when I was growing up.

My father had an addiction to alcohol. So, like, we understand, and I think I've said this on the show before, there was moments where, you know, you go through the rehab process. I can tell you in that instance, and it's a personal one, it took a lot longer than 35 days. Thank you. So I'm not downgrading. I support Brendan Forrest's effort to treat this addiction. But it seems like a matter of convenience. And you can't help but be skeptical when you know that there's over a million dollars in NIL involved in this thing, too.

No, that wasn't at stake in my family. Right. That wasn't at stake in my family. So everybody has been touched. I think most people have been touched by someone with addiction in their lives at some point. So at the same time, it just comes down to, okay, you weigh that verse. Are we going to have college football without consequences? Because it kind of feels like where we're going. That's right. Back to the point. While I go, like the guy said at Texas Tech, sue us, we'll get a lawyer.

And that's why I believe, and I've been asked this a couple times this week, where, okay, what are the odds that Brendan Forrest would be playing football this year? I'm putting it around 80. And on Monday morning before the ruling, I had it at like zero. Yeah. Or one. And I think because of what you just said, the lawyer aspect of it. That's right. Now it's going to get tied up in court. So you have to prove it. Now you've had one judge, and Dan Wetzel wrote an excellent column about this this morning, that you had the one judge rule that way.

So don't blame Brendan Thorsby or Texas Tech. Blame this judge. I actually, you know, subscribe to the thinking that Texas Tech may have thought, hey, we're going to fight this. But maybe they thought, like everybody else, there's no way we're going to win. Well, and believe me, being the son of a judge, time's on Texas Tech's side. I mean, this thing isn't going to happen. The appeals court in Texas, which I hear most of them are Texas Tech graduates, I can imagine how that's going to come out.

But the long-term consequences, you touched on this. Also, the Swordsby decision opens the door for every game result now to be scrutinized more than ever before. Without question. You know, I think the big thing for me is, you know, every play, every turnover. And I know how social media acts. I mean, you have a full highlight clip of Aaron Fox from last night's finals game and every bad decision he made. And, you know, that's going to happen in college football. I don't think, let's say he plays, which I think he will.

I don't think every student athlete is going to be out there gambling. But there will be more cases because they know that they can do it. And they know that. You've come out with your nice magazine down here. And we kind of like that kind of thing. One of the things that's inside of that, your top 25 college football coach rankings for 2026. I'm assuming that it's a battle between Ken and DeBoer and Alex Golesh as far as one and two. Or am I wrong on that, Bill?

Hey, we have a new number one. We put Kirby at the number one. And I can defend it in that, you know, show me a coach that's done what he's done in the last three years. You know, the record off the charts, taking two programs. Not only Indiana and the amazing things that happened there, but James Madison kind of setting them up for a plow. We have Kirby, too. We have, you know, Ryan Day 3. All of that makes sense. And then when you get into 4, 5, 6, and you have Freeman, Lanning, Kaelin, DeBoer.

You know, one of the things, Kaelin, DeBoer, there's some fans that be like, why is he that high? Pretty good track record between Washington and Alabama. Really good track record with quarterbacks when you have two first-round picks in three years. Yeah, 8-4 against top 25 teams. Let me go the other way. You've got two coaches that are much lower, and I agree with you entirely. James Franklin now at Virginia Tech. You look at his record, 128-60. Runs a clean program. Wins 10 games a year. But he will never be able to get over 4-21 record against top 10 opponents.

[11:00] Ouch. And then you've got Lincoln Riley at number 15, and 9-28. Yeah, that looks great. But as you mentioned, USC's average five losses each of the last three years. Believe me, those two are not top 10 coaches. Right, you know, and I think Lincoln Riley's kind of, you know, by the way, Lincoln Riley, top 10 from 2020 to 2024 on our list. So five straight years being in the top 10. And then you have James Franklin, where, I'll be honest, Brad, I wanted to put him higher, but, you know, he did get fired.

So I think you have to factor that into this list. One of the peers that I rank a lot off of, I mentioned Kurt Fignetti. I really trust, I like, I have a column on my spreadsheet, it's a three-year record. Yeah. So what have you done the last three years? Franklin's been pretty good the last three years. But last year was not a good year for him. I do think he'll do well at Virginia Tech. Where did you put the bad boy, Bill, Lane Kiffin? I mean, right there in the top 10.

Second straight year, I think we have him number eight. You do, you do. And that Sark, Kiffin, then you get into that. Sark, Kiffin, Cristobal, Dabo. How would you stack those coaches up? I think Lane's done a fantastic job at Ole Miss. I also think Lane does an unnecessary fantastic job of getting himself in the headlines. So we'll see how he balances the two in LSU. You've got Kyle Whittingham, 12. I mentioned this to you before. I've always liked him. I thought he was an SEC coach at Utah.

You know, he's got a real opportunity now at Michigan to show what he can do. I'm going to be curious to see if he jumps up to about number eight or nine next year. If he goes 10-2 at Michigan, we'll see where that goes. Great stuff. You know, real quick, you know, Campbell and Whittingham at Penn State and Michigan. Always in that top 25. We'll see how they move around this year for sure. Absolutely. Great stuff. Highly recommend looking at the coaching rankings. I know nobody disagrees with you whatsoever.

I've got a couple. I've got a couple for sure. I know you do. Where can we get online to get all the great stuff? Hey, you know what? It's great talking to you guys. BillBender92 at SportingNews.com. We have a ton between Mike D and I, of course, and we have a ton of content about Sorsby, and I'm sure we'll have a little bit more here over the next few days. Bill, as always, good to hook up with you. Good to see things have finally thought out up there.

Stay safe. Let's do it again soon, okay? Hey, anytime, guys. Thanks for having me. Thank you, buddy. Sporting News. Let's go to Double M and find out what's going on in Florence High. The top falcon, Myra Miles, next. Stay with us. Since 1952, J.C. Hammond Sons has been keeping the shoals comfortable year-round. As the oldest family-owned heating and air business in the shoals area, they've built a reputation for a reliable service you can trust, whether it's for your home or your business. Need installation, repair, or maintenance?

The experienced team at J.C. Hammond Sons is ready to help with all your residential and commercial heating and cooling needs. Visit them at 2536 Florence Boulevard or call 256-764-7386 today. J.C. Hammond Sons, serving the shoals with dependable comfort since 1952. Alabama license number 12179. At Valley Credit Union, we believe every great team starts with a strong community. We're proud to help our neighbors save, borrow, and build brighter futures together. Whether you're planning for your first home, growing your family, or supporting local dreams, we're here with personalized service and competitive rates.

Stop by any of our convenient locations, Tuscumbia, Sheffield, Muscle Shoals, Florence, Russellville, Cherokee, and Killen, or visit us on the web at valleycreditunion.net. Valley Credit Union, rooted in community, committed to you. Let's win together. You can never have too many tools. Shop DeWalt deals in Lowe's. Get a free select DeWalt 20-volt max power tool when you buy a select 20-volt max 5-amp-hour battery kit. Plus, get a free additional DeWalt 20-volt max 8-amp-hour battery when you buy a DeWalt 10-inch 20-volt max dual-bevel compounded miter saw.

Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Ballot through 624, while supplies last. Selection varies by location. From the FIFA World Cup to competitive business environments, grand ambitions lead to game-changing achievements. At Bank of America, we're there to support businesses at every step, providing insights and expertise to help you gain an edge. He shoots, he scores! What would you like the power to do? Explore winning business solutions at bfa.com slash gamechangers. Bank of America, official bank of the FIFA World Cup 2026. So Ryan and I came to the decision to get life insurance when I was pregnant with our first son.

[16:01] He really wanted us to be taken care of if something happened to him. He provided for our family in life and also after his death. I think that would make him proud. Ethos makes it fast and easy to get life insurance, apply in minutes, and get same-day coverage. Get your free quote at ethos.com slash game. That's ethos.com slash game. Pay testimonial. Time spent on application may vary. Online health questions required. This Father's Day, do more with dad and spend less with low prices guaranteed at the Home Depot.

Get him fired up with a new grill and accessories, like the next grill five burner for just $299, so you can spend more time together while he becomes the grill master he was always meant to be. Or build memories with savings on top brand power tools, so you can tackle projects side by side. Gift more and do more together this Father's Day with help from the Home Depot. Exclusions apply at homekeeper.com slash price match for details. Rich Eisen here. A SoFi personal loan is here to help you achieve something once thought impossible, overcoming high-interest credit card debt.

Walk the tightrope of your finances with one low fixed-rate monthly payment, no fees required, and as soon as the same-day funding. That's right. Pull off your own death-defying stunt with a SoFi personal loan. Visit SoFi.com slash trick to learn more. Loans originated by SoFi Bank N.A. Member FDIC. Terms and conditions apply. NMLS 696891. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Tremphaya offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Tremphaya is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks, followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks.

If your doctor decides that you can self-inject Tremphaya, proper training is required. Tremphaya is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis. Serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections, or lower ability to fight them, and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tremphaya today. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit TremphayaRadio.com.

Looking for a way to have fun and give back? Join Kramer Children's Advocacy Center July 17th and 18th at Veterans Park in Florence for Paddle for a Cause. This two-day pickleball tournament brings players and community together to support children and families impacted by abuse. Friday features mixed doubles, and Saturday features men's and women's doubles. Learn more or register at KramerChildrensCenter.com. The score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg. On 93.9, the score. Welcome back in. It is an absolute pleasure. Press hello to the athletic director at Florence City Schools, Myra Miles.

Myra, welcome in. Congratulations. How are you? I am doing great. Thank you. Been looking forward to talking to y'all. Well, right back at you. Hey, listen. Who said you can't come full circle in life, Myra? I won't steal your thunder, but talk to us about the road to becoming the AD of Florence City Schools. Yeah. So, talking about full circle, you know, I'm a graduate of Bradshaw High School. And, of course, they combined with coffee to make Florence. And then, actually, my assistant AD, Tim Bowen, he and I taught and coached together at coffee in 2000.

And then we're both now assistant AD and AD at Florence. So, it's really full circle for me. And what a blessing it is. It's kind of weird. I walked through the dome the other day for the first time when I got there. And I kind of, like, got all nervous because I felt like Miss Kennard was around somewhere. Blow her whistle and get on to her for missing layup. You know, so it's just been outstanding. And I'm very, very blessed. Let's talk about that. I've always wondered when you come back to a school, do you ever think back now maybe why those teachers got mad at kids?

At the time, you got mad at the teacher. Do you have a different perspective now? Oh, yeah. I mean, it's very much so, yes. Myra, I've been looking at some of the Facebook posts about Florence City Schools athletics. And I am so impressed. You mentioned Tim Bowen. Of course, we've interviewed him for years on the show about Brooks High School. Also, Hunter Morris, the former Auburn baseball player, coming in as the new baseball coach. Coach Lindsey Vanover is the new softball coach. I noticed flag football begins August the 20th.

[21:02] And I know there are plans, I believe the announcement last Friday, to build a new athletic workout facility, new athletic offices, a new field design. Myra, there are a lot of impressive things going on at Florence. Well, we, listen, first of all, I just want to always say how blessed I am and thank God for putting me in the right places with the right people around me. But, you know, and I've also got to give Dr. Jimmy Shaw and Byron Graham credit for getting the ball rolling on the facility that's going to open in January.

It'll be January or February of 27th. But it's going to be a phenomenal facility for our middle schools. We will have a full-time strength coach with our boys and girls, female athletes. Sam, we will have our general physical ed kids going through there as well. So, and it'll give us, you know, locker room space that we've needed desperately for Friday night football games. But it's just, we've got a ton of stuff going. We've got a lot of momentum right now. You know, we're working so hard on getting as many people back involved with the Florence system.

I mean, I've had a lot of Bradshaw alumni, a lot of Coffey alumni reach out to me. And it's just amazing on what they, they're all fired up and ready to do. Well, talk to us about, I've always said in life, there's so many people on the way that if you're wise, you'll listen to them. And you'll take a little bit here and add it to the next stop. And then by the time you reach a certain age, hopefully you've got a library of experience that's going to benefit you.

Talk to us about your journey time at St. James down in Montgomery over at Brooks High, Haleyville High. Talk to us about your journey and how that's helped you get prepared now for this position. Well, you know, I've got to give a lot of people in Haleyville, Alabama credit because that's where I was blessed to get a job, right out of college, which was really unheard of. And I worked for actually Bo Nix's grandfather who hired me, Conrad Nix. So started there, went from there to Brooks.

And, you know, there are 10 great years. Coach Harlan Hill, unbelievable man. Went from there to St. James for a year. And I'm going to tell you right now, St. James, I loved it. But both of my parents got really sick after I came there a year. Yeah. And I needed to come back home. And so I ended up at Coffey for three years. Then from Coffey, went to Hoover. Thought I was going to go there just to coach. And then the next thing I know, they asked me to come be the interim AD.

And I'm thinking, how hard could that be? And then, wow, it was a monster job. But, again, I had great people around me. I learned. I've had so many fantastic mentors. Some of the greatest athletic directors that I've worked for, like John Brickin when I was at St. James. Of course, you heard me say Harlan Hill. But principal Don Hewlin, he was phenomenal. And, you know, then went from Hoover, retired, went to work in the TNT Fireworks world with the Anderson family. And then ended up at UT with Jeremy, which I wouldn't take anything for my three years there working in the SEC.

Just learning. I was just a sponge and learning from every component of that program. But it was just, I was ready just to sit down, I mean, and not do anything after that. Then Dr. Freeman, who was a phenomenal superintendent as well that I worked for at Bestavia, told him I would commit three to five years. I gave him four to get that program turned around. And it's in fine hands now with Laura Casey. And then I was going to come home, went to work for Senator Melston at that time with the Ag Center progress up here.

So that's what I was going to do. And then Lord had a different plan for me. Get a call from the new superintendent, Bill Hopkins. And here I am in Florence in my alma mater and just living the dream. Wow. Laura, to talk a little bit about your vision for the school system. I know you've mentioned several times, but we interviewed you when you were at Hoover years ago. And you've always believed in a strategic plan, long-term goals. And I know you told us even back then, there's no excuse for our school not to be the best in academics and athletics.

Talk about your vision for Florence. Well, you know, my vision is for us to get it out in front. You know, I feel like we're doing some things now to maybe get us in a better place to take the lead. You know, we're going to, when the new classifications come out, we're going to be the largest 5A school in the state. So we need to do things long-term on a short-term prop now to make us successful long-term. And I'm not just talking about, yes, we're investing in facilities.

[26:08] But my thing is, is we've got to get the culture right. We've got to get our kids on the same page with us. We've got to be able to hire the right people that are going to coach up the kids hard, but love them hard, too. But academically, we want to lead the pack. You know, so we've got to have a vision of progressive thinking. You know, we've got to stay on the cutting edge. You know, people think I'm crazy when I say we've got to be a little bit of college-esque without it being NIL transfer proposals, you know.

But it's just, you have to look at a college-esque, you have to do that if you want to be effective and successful at the high school level. Good plan and execute that good plan on a regular basis. Myra, you just hit on something there. Because for years, Florence has had a unique challenge in that they were in a big classification, but they had one of the smallest enrollments, which means the expectations were there. But they didn't have the bodies that some of these bigger schools have had over the years.

Now, it's almost flipped where you drop down, but relative to the rest of the league, you're going to have a little bigger enrollment. Talk to us about what you've learned, or not you, but from the past of Florence having to sit here and basically be kind of the underdog in the 7A now in a different classifications. Well, I think that, you know, I have always loved if somebody, you know, would refer to us as an underdog. So, you know, even at Vestavia, when I got there, people thought, well, they're not going to win.

Well, I mean, look, Coach Calhoun came in, did a good job that one year, laid the foundation, and look what Roberts done in football, and then look at what the basketball pros did, and then look at what the softball, baseball pros did. So, it's just that part of it. So, I think Florence, yes, has been, you know, the underdog, and, you know, nobody expects a lot out of us. But I can promise you right now, I walked through the indoor yesterday, and I see the work these kids are putting in with our strength coaches.

Our coaches are involved. Every athlete in our school now is in weight training. They're working out year-round in summer. So, we are going to catch up and bypass and surpass anybody we can. And so, we want people looking over their shoulder because we're coming, and that is our goal, and that is the expectation. But, again, I want everybody to understand on our staff, all of our kids, academically, we're going to be the best we can be. We're going to be the most polite and respectful kids and coaches that we can be.

You know, we're with the kids more than their parents are with them. So, we, that's our goal. That's our plan. And we've got the, you know, the gas pedal down. And, you know, like I said, I work for a great superintendent, principal, new board of education, great, you know, everything is just in perfect. And we've just got to keep working our rear ends off to make up some ground so we can get to the top. Myra, after listening to you for 10 minutes, I think anybody who's heard this conversation realizes Florence will get there with your leadership.

Listen, thank you so much for taking some time to share your vision of the Florence athletics, academics, in all the schools. We wish you nothing but the best. Hopefully, we can give you a call in the next month or so and see how plans are going. Absolutely. And thank you all again for what you all do for sports, not just the college world, but also in the high school world. You're more than welcome. By the way, tell those former famous Bradshaw grads, the guy named Stuart St. Julie Boheim, wife of Jim Boheim, and others, that there's a new sheriff in town.

Okay, Myra? I will. I will. Thank you so much. Thank you, Myra. Myra Miles, athletic director at Florence High School. Coming up, time to go. You mentioned a fellow by the name of Jeremy. I believe that might be Jeremy Pruitt. His old foot's on the ground. What's going on now in Tennessee country? Ryan Callahan next. Stay with us. At First Metro Bank, we're more than just a place to keep your money. We're a proud part of this community, committed to helping you achieve your dreams. Whether you need a mortgage, a car loan, or just some sound advice, we're here to offer a friendly face and a helping hand.

Come see us at First Metro Bank, where your neighbors are your bankers. First Metro Bank, member FDIC. This is the story of The One. The one who keeps multiple buildings running smoothly day after day. Plumbing that flows, HVAC that hums, cleaning supplies that keep surfaces sparkling. That's why she counts on Grainger. With easy reordering online and 24-7 support, Grainger helps her keep the product she needs on hand. So shelves stay stocked, and buildings stay ready. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger.

[31:08] For the ones who get it done. Individuals and businesses with tax problems. Listen carefully. If you owe over $10,000 in back taxes or have unfiled tax returns, U.S. Tax Shield can help you take back control. The IRS can seize your bank accounts, garnish your paycheck, close your business, and file criminal charges. Our team of tax attorneys can stop collections and get you protected. U.S. Tax Shield offers a price protection guaranteed quote to get you protected today. U.S. Tax Shield is A-plus rated with the BBB.

So call 800-466-9625. U.S. Tax Shield. 800-466-9625. For adults with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis symptoms, every choice matters. Tremphia offers self-injection or intravenous infusion from the start. Tremphia is administered as injections under the skin or infusions through a vein every four weeks, followed by injections under the skin every four or eight weeks. If your doctor decides that you can self-inject Tremphia, proper training is required. Tremphia is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with moderately to severely active Crohn's disease and adults with moderately to severely active ulcerative colitis.

Serious allergic reactions, increased risk of infections or lower ability to fight them, and liver problems may occur. Before treatment, get checked for infections and tuberculosis. Tell your doctor if you have an infection, flu-like symptoms, or need a vaccine. Explore what's possible. Ask your doctor about Tremphia today. Call 1-800-526-7736 to learn more or visit TremphiaRadio.com. Progressive presents the Passionate Sports Fan Checklist. Signed jersey of your favorite bench warmer? Check. 14 bobbleheads that look nothing like the players they're emulating? Check. Twin TVs so you can watch the game on two different networks simultaneously?

Check. Life-size wall sticker of your favorite player that routinely freaks you out at night? Check. A second life-size wall sticker so after the first one freaks you out, you see the second, and you're like, oh right, the wall stickers. Check and mate. Bundle your renters and auto insurance with Progressive and save on protection for the things on your checklist. Get a quote at Progressive.com. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and third-party insurers not available in all states or situations covered subject to policy terms. Harry Douglas here to help you get in on the sweet life with Cotton Candy 5-Hour Energy.

It's that classic throwback cotton candy flavor, but with zero sugar and a 5-Hour Energy boost. I keep these with me so I can tackle that sweet tooth with a tasty caffeine kick and no guilty sugary aftermath. Bring on the sweetness with Cotton Candy 5-Hour Energy shots. Cotton Candy 5-Hour Energy. Available online at 5hourenergy.com or Amazon. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93.9 The Score. Tonight it's game number five of the Stanley Cup Finals as the Hurricanes play host to the Golden Knights. That series is tied up at two apiece.

World Cup action is set to get underway today. The United States is scheduled to play tomorrow night at SoFi Stadium in California when they take on Paraguay. Atlanta Braves fell short yesterday. They lost to the White Sox 2-1. Chris Sale took the tough luck loss. He drops to 8-5. The Braves are 45-23. The Braves and White Sox are back at Rape Field tonight. Martin Perez will start for Atlanta. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive. I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93.9 The Score.

Hi, it's Zoe, personal stylist at Macy's. If you're like, what am I wearing on this trip to this wedding, to brunch, your timing's perfect. Our best brands are all 30% off. I'll pull some great pieces that are made for you. So you'll show up confident, looking amazing. Plus, 15 off designer beauty and fragrance. Sign up for star rewards and earn even faster at Macy's Friends and Family. Going on now. Savings off regular and already reduced prices. Exclusions apply. This is the story of the one. The one who keeps multiple buildings running smoothly day after day.

Plumbing that flows. HVAC that hums. Cleaning supplies that keep surfaces sparkling. That's why she counts on Grainger. With easy reordering online and 24-7 support, Grainger helps her keep the product she needs on hand. So shelves stay stocked and buildings stay ready. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com or just stop by. Grainger. For the ones who get it done. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back again. A pleasure for us to head north to Knoxville and say hello to Ryan Kellyanne. Busy there at Go Vols 24-7.

Ryan, welcome in. How are you? Hey, guys. Doing well. How are you? Hey, Ben. Glad Josh Happel's busy doing a little shopping this summer. A lot. Quartet of pickups just since the weekend. Your thoughts overall about the Tennessee recruiting machine this summer. Yeah, it's starting to come together. Now, it's been a different kind of year for Tennessee, and I think we're seeing this a little bit more with some other schools. There's just more. Everyone's kind of having to look into how they're spending their money, how they're filling out their class.

[36:18] It's just a different approach for some programs. I think Tennessee, it's not been a wholesale change. I think they've still been trying to get good high school players. That's still how Josh Happel would like to build a large portion of his program, but I think they're, you know, just like a lot of programs, I know Alabama's going through something similar this year. You know, you kind of are reassessing how you divide your spots and how you divide your money, most importantly. And so I think there's been a little bit of an adjustment there.

And Tennessee's still been in some battles, but there have been more and more that they've been willing to walk away from if the price is not right in their minds for each player. So we knew they'd get some guys at some point, and they've made a few nice pickups here lately, as you said. So their class is starting to come together, but still some big fish out there that are going to determine, you know, just how good this class is. Is this only a top 15 or top 20 class for Tennessee?

You know, I think that possibility is out there because they're not willing or, you know, haven't been willing to go quite as high for some of these players. While some of these prices in their minds, I think for some high school players are a bit outlandish for guys who probably aren't going to be on the field right away. So they're trying to be a little bit smarter about how they spend their money and not have so many guys on the bench as freshmen who are making a lot of money that could be used on starters out of the transfer portal.

And that's the point. I think you just hit on it right there, Ryan. That's the difference between now and when Nick was riding the top of the wave. And you look at Indiana. Indiana is proof that in the modern era, you don't have to go out and get a top five class out of high school to win a national championship. You just got to know how to spend money smart. More importantly, which means you got to be able to evaluate talent that fits your system. And I think Indiana showed last year, that's basically, and I think, would you agree that maybe one of the reasons teams like Tennessee, Alabama, and others are saying, wait a minute, like you just said, I don't want to go out and put a million or $2 million in the kid's pocket to sit on a bench next year.

I can go to the portal, spend the same money, but at least I know what I'm getting at this level based on their experience. In other words, if you can't come in and play right away, plug and play and start earning your money from day one, I think these coaches, like you said, they're going to take a different approach to some of these high school kids. Yeah. And I think that's, you know, Indiana is a dangerous comparison. I think I, and I'm sure a lot of people have made it, but that's, that's one that I think it was a pretty unique situation.

You had some guys who, yeah, some guys who had followed, uh, Kirk Cignetti from, uh, from James Madison. You had a lot of familiarity, a lot of, a lot of older players. Um, I, I'm not sure you're going to see a perfect comparison with that. Cause even in the portal, Indiana was not getting some of the top players out there in the portal. They, they, they had a, had a perfect mix, but yeah, it's a good example that the one I think might be the, the more, the more relevant comparison for, for programs like Tennessee and Alabama, frankly, is Ole Miss.

Uh, I think they had sort of the, the business model down where they knew they didn't have quite as much money to spend out as some of the other programs out there and said, you know what, we're going to kind of money ball this thing and put as much of this as possible into transfer portal players and have as much of our money as possible in our starting lineup. And I think that, that was a very smart approach and it worked, got them to a college football playoff and had them in the mix a couple other times.

And I think if other schools can emulate that a little bit more, I think that's what they would, they would hope to do. But the tricky part of that is, and this, this is part of the adjustment for Tennessee and Alabama and programs like that. Maybe you've got to be really willing to spend the money on transfer portal players. And sometimes that means, that means really grinning and bearing it and saying, yeah, we'll go that high for the player that you want in January, because some of these prices get outlandish on those guys, because a lot of people had the same thought.

This is a guy that can help me win games. I'm going to pay more for him. So you've got to be willing to, to go to an uncomfortable level sometimes to get the players you want, if you're going to make that kind of pivot. But yeah, I think that that's a, it's not been a wholesale change on Tennessee's part, but I think they have had the approach more this year in terms of high school players. Let's not get in this bidding war. This is not a guy who's going to be on the field as a freshman.

And we'll, we'll, we're willing to walk away and know that we can take that money and use it on someone later. And we'll probably be okay. Let's deal with that, Ryan, with that strategy. Let's say you go out and you get Johnny Bravo, uh, from Syracuse, you bring him in $2 million and he lives up to the $2 million tag. What's going to happen if he's still got eligibility left, he's going to demand 3 million or 4 million or XYZ school out there is going to pay more. So basically you may get your $2 million worth, but there's no guarantee that after that you're going to keep him.

He's going to start using that for leverage to either get more money out of you or go somewhere else and get it. Well, and that's, and that's true of the high school players you land to, you know, sometimes you might spend high six figures on a, on a high school player. And the next thing you know, he has a good year and you're, and you're being asked to double his salary. So it's, it's, it's all that way. I mean, to your point, it's just, it's just become more and more a year to year game.

And you really just can't, you really just can't rely on what your roster might look like in a couple of years. You know, coaches used to sort of map out, okay, here's what we think our lineup will look like in, in, in two years from now and use that in recruiting. Now, now you really can't, you really have to just take it year by year. And, and just to that point, you know, I think the, I think the, the philosophy from a lot of schools now is just make sure you are being wise with your money, whatever it is.

[41:37] If you're, if you're, if you're, if you have to have a walkaway price, you know, I think that's, that's something that, that some of these coaches and other, other coaches elsewhere have, have embraced a little bit more. It's not that maybe you don't recruit a guy. It's that when it comes to time to talk, talk money, don't, don't get emotional about it. And it's a different skill set for coaches to master. They've, they didn't get into this business trying to, uh, trying to, to think that way.

They were, they were thought be relentless when the recruiting battle, do what you have to do to, to get the player, but you have to be willing to say, you know what, this guy poured a year, two years into recruiting, I'm okay walking away because the price is not what we think is worth it. Let me see if we're up to date with you. Tennessee now seems to be at 13 commitments. The latest North Carolina kicker Ford feeling, uh, six, one, one, one 90, uh, Georgia cornerback, uh, Dylan Haley committed to Tennessee.

I believe Sunday night, flowery branch, Georgia, six, one, one 80, uh, and all six, four, three 45 JUCO for Northeast Mississippi community college, Christian Mays, uh, boy, that's a space seeder run stopper in the middle and then, uh, Malik Howard, six, three, two 31, uh, a four star. Uh, I know he was, uh, Oregon was in on that battle too. Am I close as far as the, those are the last four. Those are the last four. Yeah. So, so pretty active weekend for Tennessee. They landed Malik Howard and Christian Mays on Saturday during their official visits to Knoxville.

And then Sunday night, uh, Dylan Haley, the cornerback from Georgia announced his commitment, uh, just hours after his official visit wrapped up. Um, that was one where he even informed the coaches while he was there. So really three, three visits that have, or three commitments that happened during their official visits. And then, uh, and then as you mentioned, landing the, uh, the kicker, uh, Ford, Ford feeling on, uh, on Tuesday coming off his, uh, his visit for a camp on Sunday, got an offer from Tennessee the next day and, and sort of jumped on it within 24 hours.

So, uh, yeah, they, they, they've been on a nice run lately. You kind of expect that maybe this sort of different field to this year so far is more guys were waiting for July, uh, and, and even August sometimes to announce their decisions. We're seeing guys sort of just make their decisions right then more often now, uh, during, during visits or very shortly after visits. So, um, it's been a more active June than we've seen so far, um, in recent years for Tennessee, but yeah, we'll, we'll see if that continues.

We'll see if more of these guys start, start waiting until July just to have their day to announce or whatever, or have more time. But yeah, these are, these have been happening pretty quickly and it was a very productive weekend for Tennessee last weekend, 15 official visitors, uh, four were already committed going into the weekend, added another three that were committed by the end of the weekend, essentially. So seven out of 15 that they hosted, uh, already on board. And then those other eight, you know, there's still a few other good possibilities in there led by five-star running back, David Gabriel George out of, um, out of Baylor school in Chattanooga, who's originally from Canada.

Um, that, that was kind of the, the headliner of that group and obviously a major priority for Tennessee. Yeah. He was my next question. I believe he, uh, has announced July 22nd, maybe the, the date that, that he announces his decision. SEC came out yesterday with the football schedule, trying to fill up some of the pieces of the puzzle. And quite frankly, they narrowed some of the, of the times down. I mean, we're used to this. We've been seeing it. Their flex schedule, for example, is again, two 30 to three 30 central or, um, or five to seven, uh, central time.

It's either mid afternoon or, or, or the night game. Any surprises to you? I noticed Texas, uh, is going to be noon Eastern time. I was going to amuse that Vanderbilt game when it's 35 degrees is a night game. That's right. It's always hilarious. What, what coach or fancy looking at the schedule for Tennessee yesterday? Yeah. Like, as you said, you got five flex games out of the, the nine SEC games. So a lot still to be determined, but yeah, the, uh, the noon kickoff for the Texas game definitely surprised some people.

Uh, you know, that, that obviously a marquee game on Tennessee schedule, probably some thoughts that that would be an afternoon or night game. So to have that one at noon is a little bit, a little bit different. That'll be the checker kneeling game this year with the, the, the checkerboard pattern in the stands. So, uh, it'll, it could be a hot one in late September. We'll see about that, but definitely a, uh, a lot of anticipation for that game. And then, uh, yeah, after not getting a lot of night games last year, Tennessee already knows of two that they're going to have in September at Georgia tech.

And then at home against Kennesaw state that the revealing of the windows, uh, showed that Tennessee is going to have at least two more night games with Kentucky at home on November seven. And then at Vanderbilt, as you mentioned, both being night games, you would imagine that, uh, that Kentucky game will be probably when they wear their, uh, their dark mode, black uniforms and do their, their kind of blackout. They do every year that that certainly looks like a strong contender for that one. So, uh, yeah, they've got a lot more night games this year and some games that look like they're going to be in one of those main, main windows with obviously Auburn, Alabama, Texas, and LSU being pretty interesting sec games that could get some attention there on the, on the, on the, on the TV side. So yeah, they could be playing, could be five or six night games by the time it's all said and done. So that's a lot different from last year.

[47:07] Absolutely. Um, Tennessee has some drama last summer or spring. Nico, uh, with his drama ended up going to UCLA. Boo Carter, uh, provided some also this one, Patrick Brown had kind of a summer to do list for Tennessee. And one of those was to hold down the drama. When is the latest on chance Coleman, the transfer from Penn state? Yeah, that's, that's been an interesting saga so far and it's not, not over just yet, but it's, it's not been looking positive for, uh, anyone hoping to see him suit up in a Tennessee uniform this season. Uh, he was away from the team, uh, coming out of the spring and Josh Eiple had to address that on the, on the day of the spring, uh, spring ending orange and white game back in April and, you know, didn't practice a whole lot without there for, you know, just a few practices. Uh, and then, and then wasn't seen a whole lot toward the end of the spring, uh, had, you know, had, had some, maybe some health issues that have played a role in that, but, um, a lot of people sort of scratching their heads about what's really going on there. But the bottom line is they were hoping he would report back to, uh, to the team. Uh, when they, when they resumed summer workouts, uh, in late May, he did not show up. Now he did, he did report back to Knoxville, but he's still not participating in workouts with the team. And right now there's really no expectation that he's going to be on the team this fall, but there's been no final resolution to that. Uh, and everyone's sort of wondering what is the holdup or what, what's going to happen to sort of bring this to a conclusion one way or the other. But the bottom line is everyone you talk to pretty much expects Chaz Coleman, not to be a part of the team. And we talked about, you know, major acquisitions out of the transfer portal that you spend a lot of money on. That's the guy Tennessee spent a lot of money on and was counting on as a, as a major contributor off the edge this year. So if he's not out there and there's no second transfer portal window, so there's not much out there, you can bring in some additional help. They're just, they're, they're going to be out of edge rusher. And that's a, that's a big one because they were really counting on him to play a lot this year and make an impact. So we'll see if anything changes, but right now, I would say he's not going to be a part of Tennessee's football team this fall, unless something dramatically changes.

College football in 2026, good example of it. Great recruiting update, basketball. I keep hearing a lot of good things about this class. Rick Barnes brought in, but you've got it all covered in your staff. Where can we get online, bud, and get yours and the team's good stuff? Yeah. Govolts247.com. You can sign up right now for 60% off an annual subscription. So great time to join through our June recruiting sale. Another big recruiting weekend coming up for Tennessee. Uh, nearly 10 official visitors and, uh, another bigger group coming in next weekend to wrap up the month. So, uh, lots to keep track of and plenty still happening, including the race for that five-star running back, David Gabriel, uh, George, as I mentioned earlier. So lots, uh, lots to check out at govolts247.com.

Sounds great, Ryan. Stay safe out there and as cool as you can find a big shade tree. Okay. I'm planning to do that as soon as we hang out. Smart man. Ryan Callahan, Govolts247.com. You mentioned ESPN releasing some times. Quickly, BB, what caught you fancy as far as times down the road? Uh, well, for Alabama, we talked to Ryan Fowler about this. South Carolina will be a night game, probably six or 630. Georgia, no shock there. And then there are four games, Tennessee, Texas A&M, LSU. Yeah. That will be either 230 or 6 to 7 o'clock. One time we do know Chattanooga, once again, that 11th non-conference game, the, the annual one o'clock game.

So you got plenty of time. You are going to clean out a room for our big bill's change for the Georgia game, right? Well, I'm, I'm thinking about it. Maybe we can confirm or deny that when we get bill on the next time. In the meantime, coming up, Joe Bailey checking in from the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame and the Fowler boys, Logan and Ryan, all straight ahead. Stay with us. When getting the job done right is job one. You need construction equipment that's built right.

From compact track loaders to the world's number one selling compact excavator, the Kubota construction lineup features durable Kubota engines, more comfort, and the versatility to do it all and do it right. Visit your local Kubota dealer today. Go to Kubotausa.com for full disclaimer. Stop by Brown Equipment located at 826 North Military Street in Loretto or visit them online at brownequipmentcompany.com. Hey mom, now that I have an after-school job, I think I want to buy a drum kit. Okay, rock star. Let's look at your account. When kids start making money, Chase has easy to use tools and expert bankers to help them learn how to manage it. And next month I'll buy the bass drum and the cymbals. Oh, and maybe some noise canceling headphones for you. Aww, you've thought of everything. Help kids save, budget, and build financial independence all with Chase. That's good for kids and good for parents. Visit your local Chase branch and get started. Account subject to approval. J.P. Morgan Chase Bank and a member FDIC. Indeed presents hires you can't afford to get wrong like a data analyst. Hey, what model did you use for these quarterly projections?

[52:18] Astrology. If Mercury's in retrograde, sales tank. If Venus is rising, we crush Q4. You built our revenue forecast off horoscopes? Yeah, the Zodiac never lies. This is a job for sponsored jobs. This is what happens when you don't sponsor your job on Indeed. Next time, get matched with quality candidates with Indeed-sponsored jobs. Visit indeed.com slash hire now and sponsor your job today. This Father's Day, do more with Dad and spend less with low prices guaranteed at the Home Depot. Get him fired up with a new grill and accessories like the next grill five burner for just $299 so you can spend more time together while he becomes the grill master he was always meant to be.

Or build memories with savings on top brand power tools so you can tackle projects side by side. Gift more and do more together this Father's Day with help from The Home Depot. Exclusions apply to homedepot.com slash price match for details. My name is Whitney Allen and I'm a widow. My husband Ryan died. We never thought we'd ever have to use life insurance, but the unexpected happened. With Ethos, signing up was fast and 100% online. You can get a quote in seconds, apply in minutes, and get same day coverage. No medical exams and you can get up to $3 million worth of coverage. I am grateful we were prepared.

Get your free quote at ethos.com slash play. That's ethos.com slash play. Need life insurance but have diabetes, high blood pressure, or on anxiety meds? If you're a 50-year-old male, even porky, or with type 2 diabetes, a million dollars of life insurance may only cost you about 200 bucks a month. For affordable term life insurance, call term provider and speak with Big Lou at 800-444-2013. 800-444-2013 or visit BigLou.com. Remember, Big Lou's like you. He's on meds too. 800-444-2013. Hey, Green Gobbler here. See, you've got a clog drain in your bathroom. Water in the sinks, overstaying its welcome. You're spitting today's toothpaste on top of yesterday's toothpaste. You hope that it go away. Yeah, clogs don't just go away. I make them go away. I'm Green Gobbler, the only clog dissolver you need. I'm bleach-free, safe for your pipes, and I work. Guaranteed, or your money back. Because I never met a clog that was going to unclog itself. Green Gobbler, let the gobler get it.

This is the story of the one. The one who keeps multiple buildings running smoothly day after day. Plumbing that flows, HVAC that hums, cleaning supplies that keep surfaces sparkling. That's why she counts on Grainger. With easy reordering online and 24-7 support, Grainger helps her keep the product she needs on hand. So shelves stay stocked and buildings stay ready. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click Grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done. Here's the tale of the daily med field. Same old pharmacy, same old bill. But those prices kept rising higher still. Till the savings wrangler rode in. Cool as can be. Tap good RX. Save it massively.

No plan. Don't matter none. Up to 80% off. The deals are done. Discounts hitting harder than Ma's chili. Dang. That one little app does all the rest. Save time and money on prescriptions. Check good RX. Good RX is not insurance. Being entrusted with a parent's medical needs can be hard, but they need you, whether they realize it or not. Elder abuse and neglect can take many forms, including self-neglect. Dad, why didn't you tell me you needed help? Report suspected abuse or neglect to the Alabama Department of Human Resources at 1-800-458-7214.

Or look for adult protective services on the DHR website at dhr.alabama.gov. Sponsored by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, the ABA, and this station. Valley Broadcasting Corporation, WITK-FM, Rogersville, Athens, Decatur, The Shores, Sports Radio 93.9, The Score. Westwood One Sports presents this World Soccer Update, sponsored by Henkel, official partner of U.S. Soccer. The World Cup begins in Mexico City. This is Mexico's 18th World Cup appearance. Only four nations have been in more. They haven't missed one since 1990, but they haven't had much World Cup success.

A couple of quarterfinal appearances in 1970 and again in 86. Both times they were the host nation. Mexico, of course, teaming up with their North American neighbors, the U.S. and Canada. After Mexico's opening game with South Africa that starts at about an hour, there's a game tonight. 10 Eastern and Guadalajara, South Korea in its 12th World Cup, taking on Chechia, who qualified in dramatic fashion. Back-to-back UEFA wins over Ireland and Denmark. Both games went to penalty kicks. This is Chechia's first World Cup since 2008. Tomorrow, it's Canada and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

That's in Toronto. And then it's the U.S. versus Paraguay in Los Angeles. With this World Soccer Update, John Stashauer, Westwood One Sports. Gear up for the games this summer. Henkel's Summer of Soccer Sweepstakes is giving fans the chance to win the new 2026 U.S. Men's National Team jersey and U.S. Soccer Store gift cards. Everything you need to show up and support the home team, so don't miss out. No purchase necessary. Starts May 16th and ends June 15th, 2026. Must be 18 and a resident of the contiguous United States.

[57:49] Visit HenkelSoccerSweeps.com for official rules. Sponsored by Henkel. Henkel, proud partner of U.S. soccer. This summer, the Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich and Pineapple Dragon Fruit and Sprite are back at Chick-fil-A. Let me tell you about the Pineapple Dragon Fruit and Sprite. It's bright. It's bubbly. It's back. The Honey Pepper Pimento Chicken Sandwich, it's so rich. And you can choose between the original or the spicy filet. Ooh, boy. And then you've got those pickled jalapenos tucked right under the filet. And then just to top it all off, you've got a little honey drizzle right on top.

Okay, now I'm a pimento fan. And I'm feeling the dragon fruit. Which fan favorite will you choose? Real customers paid for their testimonials. Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Harold Bugg, some people jump out of planes for no reason whatsoever. Listen, I saw a clip on this. I would not have believed it. Well, anybody would jump out of a perfectly good airplane, but our next guest literally did just that. I can't wait for the details on that and more with AA Andrew Adelson, the chief at ESPN.

AA, welcome in. How are you? Well, I survived. I survived to tell the tale, fellas. I did jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Why? It was not something I ever wanted to do. Well, look, I lost our ACC Picks Challenge between me and David Hale. If you lose, you have to do something. Yeah, stupid. And I didn't think I was going to lose. I mean, I don't lose. I'm not a loser. I mean, I lost. It was terrifying, and I still cannot believe I did it.

But I did, and I'm here. Andrew, listen, good luck. And the word of the day is Geronimo, look out below, okay? All right, Geronimo! The Boomo Bugg Show, weekdays, noon to two, on 93.9 The Score. 93.9 The Score weather. Today's sunny with a high around 95, and heated and X-values as high as 101. Tonight, mostly clear with a low near 75. Tomorrow, partly sunny with a 70% chance of afternoon showers with a high around 90. Tomorrow night, partly cloudy with a 60% chance of showers overnight and a low near 70. And after your Saturday, mostly sunny with a 30% chance of afternoon showers and a high around 90.

Your weather from 93.9 The Score. Now, get ready to roll. Joel's, Decatur, Athens, and all of Northwest Alabama and Southern Tennessee. It's time for the Valley's exclusive FM Sports Voice. The Boomo Bugg Show. Your exclusive inside track to the tide. Tigers, Tennessee, and the rest of the SEC. Now, your host, Harold Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in our tour of the Boomo Bugg Show. I'm Harold Bugg alongside Brett Beaird. Thank you so much for giving us a street ride around Tennessee Valley and for Logan Fowler taking time out of his busy schedule following the Auburn Tigers there at 1819 News.

Logan, welcome in. How are you? Doing very well, guys. How are y'all? Man, well, we're kind of confused again, Logan. We thought up until the last few days that the most famous name to ever go to Jordan-Hare Stadium and play was Bo Jackson and a host of others. Are you telling me that there's a new king of the field there as far as world acclaim from Jordan-Hare Stadium this week, Logan? Yeah. Well, I mean, that was pretty awesome to see. I mean, what a historic night it was on Tuesday in Auburn, Alabama.

Am I echoing when you guys are in? No, I think we're okay. Awesome. Okay. Yeah, no, historic night down there in Auburn, Alabama on Tuesday. You know, Lionel Messi, who, you know, many perceive as one of the best athletes to ever grace the earth. Stepped foot on Pat Dye Field in Jordan-Hare Stadium. He scored a goal. So, I mean, that was pretty cool to see when he checked in at the 70-minute mark. And I'm just, you know, super glad they were able to make it a memorable night for everyone who was involved, especially after the weather that kind of swept through Lee County prior to that event.

Saw some videos on that, and it just, some parts of Auburn, Alabama just did not look great. Wow. You know, shout-out to the Auburn grounds crew for getting things done there. So, special night because, you know, not only was Messi in Auburn, but, you know, you broke an attendance record for a soccer game held in the state of Alabama. 88,043 in attendance on Tuesday night and got to blend a little bit of American football, in a sense, you know, tradition-wise, with international soccer, which obviously is the most popular sport worldwide.

So, you know, the international fans and the fans, the Argentinians and the fans from Iceland got a taste of what Saturdays down south are like. They got to see the Eagle flight and the Swag Surf and all the crazed SEC and Auburn football fans, you know, and them alike. They got to see, you know, what soccer's like. So, you blend it to, you know, very rich traditions. You know, for Auburn, not only did you put yourself on a national stage by hosting the reigning World Cup champs in Argentina and Lionel Messi, but you're benefiting greatly in the NIL world because of this event.

[1:03:15] Obviously, that's really why this event was held in Auburn, Alabama. I think that Auburn is set to receive, you know, 60% of the net event revenue, which is, you know, obviously ticket sales, merch, parking, and, you know, other sources, I guess, of income throughout the event. But Auburn's done an amazing job partnering with organizations that make events like these possible. And, you know, again, we have already alluded to it, but kind of just to cap off the perfect night, you know, you got to see, again, one of the best athletes that may ever grace the earth score a goal in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

So, you know, I think it was a win for everyone involved. Logan, you nailed on something there. Even though, let's face it, most of us don't understand thoroughly the game of soccer, but he has such a draw that you're still going to spend the money and go. So, from that standpoint, shout out there. And I think you touched on it. I think the first question, folks said, what, Auburn is going to be doing this? How in the world can you pull something like that to a football stadium?

Who, are there names here? I don't want to put you on the spot here, but how did Auburn wind up? Was it the chamber? Was it a group there, a business people said, look, we'll put down this kind of money if you come here, if we get this in return? How did it work? So, you know, this started about a year and a half ago when Auburn partnered, and I can't remember the exact partnership to the other, you know, other side of the business was. That Auburn's partnering with, you know, trying to bring in not just events like this in soccer, but you're having tons of concerts come in.

Obviously, you're able to move football games to Atlanta. It's the modern era. Right. So you're starting to see a lot more events come into Auburn, Alabama. I think there's going to be some concerts coming up, some events maybe held in Neville Arena that's going to come up. So, you know, Auburn's athletic department kind of got with the program and said, hey, you know, we're going to have to do something to kind of give us an edge, give us an advantage here in revenue now that this sport, well, every sport is revenue-based now.

So, you know, Auburn, again, Auburn's done a great job, and I think that you're going to start seeing some names, maybe not quite as big as Lionel Messi, but some names, especially maybe in the music industry, start making their way to Auburn for some big events. Let me ask you, the SEC dropped, or at least they narrowed some of the windows for the 2026 schedule yesterday. Auburn with two night games to begin the season, Southern Miss at either 6.30 or 6.45. Florida, coming back, and so many people haven't seen them in over a decade.

At 6, Tennessee is the flex, either at 2.30 or at 6. Georgia is at 2.30. I thought that was interesting. LSU, I don't know how they came up with this, is at 11 o'clock in the morning. Good grief. And then they've got three consecutive 11 a.m. games. I mean, you're looking at four, which caught my attention yesterday. Did you feel the same way? I know, again, you get into October, and it's certainly warmer during the day before you get into late November, but what surprised you when they at least narrowed down the schedule yesterday?

Yeah. You know, your first two home games are at night. The biggest surprise to me was after that, you have nothing guaranteed to be played under the lights in here. Yeah. You know, you cut out on me there for a second. You may have mentioned it, but you have three straight early windows with Ole Miss, Arkansas, Mississippi State. You know, maybe I can understand the Mississippi State one, but LSU at 11 a.m. was really shocking to me. Really? Which I don't know what other games are being played off the top of my head on October 24th, but that's the first time in a couple years that that rivalry is going to be back in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

I would love to have seen that played under the lights, especially with Lane Kiffin making his way back over to the Plains. Look, I was a little disappointed to see, you know, the early slots that Auburn's going to be playing in, but, you know, I was joking around with a buddy yesterday evening about it. Like, obviously, new team, new regime, new staff, new players, new everything, fresh start, but Auburn, you know, you've got to kind of prove that you belong on a national stage with a lot of eyes on your games, and they just haven't done that in five years, so, you know, you can't be too mad about it, but obviously Auburn fans are probably going to have a little sour taste in their mouths for not being able to play under the lights, but, you know, only two times.

[1:08:15] I appreciate you bringing that point, Logan, because, let's face it, it is a business, and not only that, when you get that 11 o'clock, it's doubly bad, because that's Fox prime time game, that big high noon game, so you're competing extra special for those eyeballs of what's going on in that neck of the woods. Logan Fowler is going to be with us, 1819 News. Logan, as far as the latest on the recruiting trail, if you will, catch us up as much as you can on that, and it looks like Auburn is taking the same script as a lot of schools right now.

Yeah, they've still got some fives, they've still got some fours, but you're seeing more and more threes for two reasons, expanded roster and a space that you've got to budget right as well. Absolutely. Yeah, I mean, so, I mean, after the flurry of commits that Auburn received last week, that momentum's kept rolling into this week. Coach Hoodie and that offensive line staff are continuing to bolster that room after Reed Ramsey announced his pledge to the Tigers. You know, he's a four-star interior guy, and Coach Hoodie, I think, got on him pretty early in the process, back when he was at UCF.

So, you know, I think there was a connection there. But, you know, you pair him with another, you know, big-time guy, Leighton Von Branton, or Leighton Von Branton, Jalen Moore, and now your offensive line room is starting to really come on. You know, very soon after that, you got a, you know, he reeled in an elite safety prospect in Chance Gilbert. Auburn beat out Georgia to earn his nod. You know, a native of Georgia, he visited Auburn over the past weekend. You know, the 247 composite rankings have him as a number 56 player nationally and number four safety.

So, that was a huge win for Auburn. And, you know, then yesterday, you had another big fish jump in the boat with, you know, depending on what recruiting service you're looking at, four-star edge, Ryan Jackson. So, you know, momentum is swinging in Auburn's way right now. Auburn's class is up to 17 commitments, and 247's got him ranked at 12th nationally. And, you know, I think they got up to 10 after Gilbert committed. But, you know, it's kind of a changing every day with these summer recruiting lots. And, you know, many, many teams are picking up steam right now.

So, really love what Auburn's doing on the trail. You know, you would have to think that things have to cool off a little bit. But, you know, if you can reel off three straight weeks with multiple commitments next week, then, you know, Auburn's looking at a, you know, top 10 class for sure and knocking on the door of a top five class, depending on who it is. Yeah, I've seen between 12 and 14 this week. Two things. How many, 5, 10, 15, how many prospects are coming in this weekend? And, number two, where can we get online to get all the great stuff?

Yeah, I don't think they're going to have a, they had 12 on campus this past weekend. You know, I'm not sure that this weekend's going to be quite as big. I know that there's a couple of new names in that small group that Auburn's going to try. I think, if I remember correctly, it was five on the official visitors for this weekend. And, you know, make some noise, continue to do work on the trail. And I like where things sit for Auburn recruiting. But, yeah, you can always check out my work over at 1819news.com.

And give me a follow on X at Logan F. Fowler. And also, before I get out of here, I have to say, guys, that I was completely wrong on my prediction last week for the Super Regional. I came on here and predicted a clean sweep for Auburn. And that surely did not happen. So, definitely, definitely ate my words on that prediction. Logan, it's never, ever happened to us. If that's your worst transgression, you're going to have a good life, my friend. Okay? Yes, sir. Thank you, Logan.

Logan Fowler with us, visit there at 1819news. The question now, BB, where does Auburn go after hosting Argentina and those fighting Reykjavik from Iceland? We shall see. But, in the meantime, who are the latest names to the Hall of Fame in Morgan County? Joe Bailey on that and more. Straight ahead, stay with us. Hello, my name is Keith Medley, and I'm an attorney with the law firm of Johnson, Passeur, Medley & Burchell. Why call an out-of-town lawyer when you can call our law firm, which has over 100 years of combined experience in all areas of the law.

Check us out first by calling our office at 256-766-3131. No representation is made that the quality of legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. T-Mobile has an exclusive bundle for customers 55 and up. I'm Sarah Bull. Yeah, I'm Frank Bull. A reliable network is key for us. And with T-Mobile, it's been wonderful. And going to the 55-plus plan saved us so much money. A lot. And that's important. Trying to keep costs down. The whole internet's been perfect.

[1:13:17] It's fast. It's quick. The setup was so easy. It took less than 15 minutes. It was like, ta-da! If you want simplicity, coverage, reliability, you want the whole package, T-Mobile has it. Right now, T-Mobile customers 55 and up can get two phone lines on America's best network. Plus, America's fastest 5G home internet for just 30 bucks each. $30 per month each line with auto pay plus taxes and fees. Minimum age 55. Pricing for home internet rely on two lines of essentials choice 55. This is a special notice to U.S. taxpayers owing $10,000 or more to the IRS.

Tax Relief Advocates is urgently notifying taxpayers that tax relief initiatives are now available that may significantly reduce or eliminate what you owe. If you're afraid of an IRS lien, levy, or wage garnishment, don't lose hope. You can now take advantage of these current relief programs to end all collections, reduce the amount you owe, and resolve your tax problem. Even if you have years of unfiled tax returns or are already in a payment plan, you may still qualify for significant relief. Struggling taxpayers can now get relief they need during these hard economic times.

A hotline has been established by Tax Relief Advocates for you to call and see what you qualify for. They are A-plus rated with the BBB and have over 1,000 five-star reviews. Don't wait. Call 800-575-9087. 800-575-9087. That's 800-575-9087 or simply visit tra.com. This is the story of The One. The one who keeps multiple buildings running smoothly day after day. Plumbing that flows, HVAC that hums, cleaning supplies that keep surfaces sparkling. That's why she counts on Grainger. With easy reordering online and 24-7 support, Grainger helps her keep the product she needs on hand.

So shelves stay stocked and buildings stay ready. Call 1-800-GRAINGER, click grainger.com, or just stop by. Grainger, for the ones who get it done. U.S. Tax Shield is A-plus rated with the BBB. The rest can seize your bank accounts, garnish your paycheck, close your business, and file criminal charges. Our team of tax attorneys can stop collections and get you protected. U.S. Tax Shield offers a price protection guaranteed quote to get you protected today. U.S. Tax Shield is A-plus rated with the BBB.

So call 800-466-9625. U.S. Tax Shield. 800-466-9625. In a world of parts for excitement, Twisted Tea is your refreshing thrill ride of flavor. The hard iced tea that's smooth, made with real brewed tea, and 5% alcohol. Twisted Tea. Keep it twisted. There's only one Ozempic. Hello, I'm Ozempic. And I'm other GLP-1s, kind of like him. Ozempic, you redid your jingle? Ah, thanks for noticing. Catchy, right? No. Okay, then. Well, ask your doctor about which FDA-approved uses of me, the Ozempic pen, may be right for you.

Call 1-833-OZEMPIC or visit Ozempic.com to view the medication guide and learn more about Ozempic semaglutide injection. 2 milligrams. Only Novo Nordisk makes FDA-approved Ozempic. There's only one Ozempic. Ah, I told you it was catchy. If Twisted Tea was your best friend, they'd start a dance party in the supermarket that turns into a pool party at your place, and you don't even own a pool. Twisted Tea is smooth, refreshing, and always fun. Twisted Tea Hard-Ace Tea. Keep it twisted. Twisted Tea Brewing Company, Cincinnati, Ohio. Please drink responsibly.

This is a TVA Minute. To meet a growing demand for electricity, the Tennessee Valley Authority has over 3,700 megawatts of new generation under construction. TVA Senior Vice President of Generation Allen Clare gave a report to the Board of Directors at its May meeting. We have 3,770 megawatts of new generation currently under construction, including four natural gas generation projects. And earlier this month, we fired our combined cycle combustion turbines for the first time at our new Cumberland gas site in Stewart County, Tennessee. And that facility is expected to be operational by the end of this calendar year.

This expansion is needed to support the Valley's growing industrial base and fast-growing communities. The region is experiencing one of the most significant periods of investment and economic growth in decades, with regional unemployment at 3.5 percent compared with the national average of 4.3 percent. That's a TVA Minute. I'm Adam May. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93.9 The Score. Welcome back in. Where in the world has this man been? Joe Bailey, President of the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame. Joe, welcome in. I've been looking at milk cartons and I finally found you.

How are you? Good, Harold. Good, Brad. How are you doing? Man, we're doing all right. Joe, we don't want to steal your thunder, but the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame is coming up here in a short at the Point Mellor Golf Course. Please tell us that you've got air conditioning working as hard as IRS agents trying to squeeze more taxes out of us. Well, you know, we moved it this year. Last year we had some issues with rain and it rained a lot in May, so we decided to move it to June.

[1:18:47] And, Harold, it's been pleasant until this week and the heat is here. So, you're right. I think I'll be under the tent while those guys are playing next year in a couple weeks. Smart man, Joe. All right. Obviously, first of all, hats off to you guys. Before we get into the names, do people realize how tough this job is? Because Morgan County, my goodness gracious, you talk about some of the names that come out of your neck of the woods and trying to sit here and come up with a class.

And not only that, what I like about the job you guys do, you recognize relatively new ones, but you don't forget the guys who basically helped build a foundation back in the day, as far back as the 50s and 60s. If you will, talk to us just about the hard work and the challenge of trying to come up with another great class. Well, it is a challenge. And, I'll be honest, we start immediately after this year. We have our induction in June and we'll start in July.

And, I mean, we've already researched guys and women, but we'll start heavy then and start looking at things. And, it's like you said, for years we only put six in. And, when you only put six in, that's fine. But, so we decided a few years ago to start putting eight in because we just felt we had so many people that were serving and to try to catch up a little bit. And, so we went back and, you know, some of these things before the digital world, it was very tough finding information on guys like you said in the 1950s.

And, people like even, you'll see here in a minute, Ray Greenwell, just a phenomenal resume. But, you've got to dig on some of that stuff because a lot of it's not, you know, a lot of these colleges we start looking and trying to get research. And, most of them don't have anything back, unless they're major universities. They don't have anything in the 60s and 70s. And, so we had to go by word of mouth. Then, we try to always double check the stats and things like that.

And, then combined with what you said, just in this area, we had a huge influx in the early to late 90s of just a great run of athletes that, you know, even went to Alabama. Decatur sent three or four to Alabama in one year. And, then West Morgan had their run of sending athletes to Alabama, not to mention all the other schools in the 90s. And, so now it's, you know, we just, we try, we don't, we don't say we have to put so many people in from each decade and each gender and things like that.

But, we try to look at all and say, hey, these, you know, factor some stuff in. And, it can get, it can get tough. And, many times we have ties in our voting and we have to break ties because we can only put so many in each year. And, then we always remember those people for the next year. But, it is a tougher process probably than most people realize. Joe, before we get into the inductees' bios, let's do the who, what, when, and where. The golf tournament, I know the proceeds go to the Boys and Girls Club of Morgan County.

I was looking at your website yesterday and this morning. I think it may be close to being sold out. But, talk about the golf tournament. Then, of course, the induction banquet. As you mentioned, you moved the date. Also, it's at the Cook Museum. Of course, the Natural Science Indicator. Tell us about the cost, where we can get online, get tickets, etc. All right. Well, this has been probably our biggest challenge ever. I'm not going to lie. We've just had a lot of things. Like I said, we moved the date.

We moved the golf to Point Mallard. And, when we did, the morning was already full. They're having a tournament there. So, we're only on one flight. So, that's technically full, but that's a good thing. We've got 24 teams that have paid already. And, so, that's full. Then, we went back to the Hilton a couple years ago because it's just a full service and they do a great job. And, to no fault of any of the local Hilton people. About two months ago, they came to me and said, hey, we've got a problem.

Our corporate has said we're going to be renovating during your banquet. So, we've got to move it. So, Hilton is still doing the food for us, the double tree. And, they've graciously jumped through every hoop. But, we had to move it over to the Cook's Museum. And, it's a little bit smaller. So, to be honest, we're about out of tickets there and basically are. But, it's been a good thing because we've had some, we've had two or three inductees that are just bringing a lot of people with them.

I was telling a fellow board member yesterday that the older, And, we have a little bit of an older class this time going in. And, usually, the older the class, more people come because, you know, they have grandkids. They have nephews and nieces and great nephews. And, if you put a 40-year-old in, there are many times they don't even have children that old. So, they're certainly not going to have grandchildren or great nieces and nephews. So, and we do. Everything we do goes to the Boys and Girls Club of North Central Alabama.

[1:23:53] And, we're proud to say over the lifetime of our association, we've given over half a million dollars to the Boys and Girls Club. And, so, it's a two-pronged thing. We want to honor the athletes that deserve to be in. And, then we want to give back to the community. So, we do our best to do that. And, I'll say all that to say this. If somebody really has to be into the banquet that hasn't heard about it yet, we'll do everything we can. The board members, we've already said we'll stand up and eat this year.

Cooks has been very good to us. Everything plans to move back to the Hilton next year and move forward from there. But, we're excited about it. And, it'll be here before we know it. Yeah, good job by you. I mean, that is a labor of love. And, I know I speak for a lot of folks. But, if you keep on doing it like that, Joe, your hair is going to be as gray as mine. So, you have been warned. Let's talk about some of the names that are going to be there.

The stars themselves. What about this latest class, Joe? Well, you know, it's pretty diverse. Yep. And, again, we're putting in a NASCAR or a race car driver. And, to the best of my knowledge, I've been on board, you know, over 10 years now and the present, 7 or 8. And, to the best of my knowledge, we have not put in a NASCAR driver yet. But, Ray Green was going in. And, he played football and ran track at Decatur High. Like, I think it was Harold that mentioned it earlier.

It might have been Brett. But, it goes back to the older generation. He graduated in 1957. Right. And, so, just a different resume. But, man, he's got people that are turning out for him. And, so, we're excited about him. Then, Billy Don Sharps out of Priceful. Again, he's 77 years old. And, he was on the 1965 state championship team for Priceful in basketball. And, as you guys know, I know you'll keep up with everything. Priceful shut down for several years, didn't have a high school. And, now, they open back up about 15, 20 years ago.

So, we've got a basketball. And, then, we – Mark McClanahan. He's from Austin. So, now, that's our third school representative. And, he was on the all-state basketball team, all-state championship team in 1973. And, then, he went on to play baseball at Auburn. And, then, Gary Knotts, who's a little bit younger. He's our youngest one. He's 48. He pitched at Brewer High School, played basketball, also a good basketball player. And, then, went on to play in the major leagues. Yeah. And, Gary's still local. He's still doing – he's still doing a lot of things here in the area, teaching kids and doing hitting lessons and pitching lessons.

Then, Kenny Cole, he's a lawyer now. He's a class of Decatur, 1976 football. And, he was – he received the Super All-State honors. And, you really wouldn't tell it by looking at him now. But, he was a nose tackle. And, Kenny's went on to have a great career. After that, then, we got Leanna Trimble. And, she's actually over in your guys' area. She's the owner or co-owner of Georgia's Steak Pit there. And, she was on the 1994 Austin team that she was running mates with Bam Watkins, one of our own, on the board.

And, so, she had a tremendous basketball career. Then, you got Nathan Holmes. He was a football player at Decatur High School. And, now, he's 74 years old, which I would not have known it by talking to him. And, he was one of the first black people to play football and basketball at Decatur High, going back to 1967. And, he was – went on to play running back at Tennessee Martin. And, then, I saved for last one of our own, Judge Glenn Thompson, going in. And, Judge is before my time in basketball.

And, he had some battles when he was at Morgan County High against Austin High and all those. And, he – I promise you, if you bring up – I don't know what year it was. I think it was 1969 Austin game. He will remember it vividly. But, Judge is not only known for that. It's just his contribution to the Sports Hall of Fame and the sports in general in Morgan County. He is on the sideline every week at Hartsell for as long as I've known in football and contributed there.

And, then, he is – I don't think he was one of the founding members, but I think he might have come on in the third year. I think this boy was founded in 1989, and he came on in 90 – or, 91. So, it's just a diverse class, a little bit of everything from race car to basketball to baseball to women's basketball to pro baseball. And, we're very with it. Again, it's – we reached back and got some of those older guys, and one of our board members said it's better to honor people when they're alive, you know, if we can do it.

And, we're very grateful to be able to do that. And, these people are turning out. I mean, they – the families are bringing crowds. Several of them are bringing close to 50 people themselves. So, we're excited about it. Joe, I'll tell you one. This is a very talented group. Nathan Holmes, you mentioned, one of the top running backs in school history at Tennessee Martin. He ran for 2,000 yards, was the NAIA All-American, also taught at Tennessee Martin for many, many years. But, yeah, this is a very diverse, talented group.

[1:29:26] Joe, you've got one of the best websites for a Hall of Fame that I've ever seen. Now, again, I know your committee works on this. It probably feels like year-round, but it's for – if someone is out there and says, you know, oh, so-and-so I know from Oregon County, I'd like to nominate him for this. Joe, how can they do that? That's a great question. Thank you for all the compliments. Actually, Matt Zartucci is one of our board members that does our website. His company does, and Matt does most of it voluntarily, but they do a great job.

And there's a link on there to do that. If not, you know, I don't ever mind giving my number out or email out, and we'll just get it that way. But there is a form on there, and we've found that to be very successful because in the past, and, man, we had a big problem when COVID hit and a lot of things hit, and then we've had to transition from different buildings, and we lost some of the old paper copies. But then we knew who they were and got people to resubmit them, but it's just easier here because we've got a digital imprint.

And if they'll just get online and fill it out, it goes to me and a couple more of the members that are on the leadership. And so we've got all that there, and then we vote every December. We do our real talking and nominating on the process in November and do our push in November, and then we vote every December. And basically the criteria is you're supposed to either play sports in Morgan County in high school or you obviously coached in Morgan County. Or if you went to school in Morgan County and then went on and had a great career somewhere else, as long as you have some kind of Morgan County tie, then they're basically eligible for that.

They've got to be 40 years old. And we did waive a few years ago. We call it the Coach Booth rule because we said Coach is never going to retire. We used to have a rule that said you had to be out of coaching before we could put you in. And so we said, look, Coach is never going to retire, so let's just waive that rule and say if they've coached 25 years, then we can put them in. And so if they can still be active as a coach, excuse me, as long as they've been coaching 25 years, then we can still put them in that way.

Great story, Joe, especially for Coach Booth. As always, good to hook up with you. Listen, man, after all the challenges you've been through, two words sooner or later, Orange Beach. You deserve it, okay? Hey, listen, I appreciate it, and I know I tell you every year, but I mean it sincerely. You guys do more for local sports in the area, and that's, you know, they say all politics is local, but to me all sports is. And I appreciate you giving not just us, but all the local people in the Shoals area, Morgan County area, shout outs in their due.

And, I mean, nobody can compete with the big dogs of the world, the ESPNs. What I like about it is y'all don't necessarily try to do that, but you put the focus on the local, and we love that, and we appreciate you guys for that. Well, thank you so much for those kind words coming from you. It means a lot, especially in this corporate crazy world out there. Joe, all the best for your event, okay? All right, thank you guys. Thank you, Joe. See you next year.

Absolutely. Maybe in between, Joe Bailey, president of the Morgan County Sports Hall of Fame. We talked early with Logan Fowler. How about Ryan Fowler? Ron Deck, stay with us. Hello, Shoals. It's Elmer Pierce from Garner Pierce Autos. Are you tired of being told that it will take two weeks to service your vehicle or even to look at it to tell you what's wrong with it? Are you tired of being told that it's going to be $200 to $300 an hour for labor? At Garner Pierce Autos, we have four full-time certified and trained technicians that have over 75 years of automotive service experience.

We service vehicles of every make and model and do anything from oil changes to engine and transmission replacements. We're your one-stop shop for servicing your entire fleet or your personal vehicle. We have every accessory for your car, truck, van, or SUV. 4.9 stars on Google and Facebook. Garner Pierce Autos on Florence Boulevard right next to Appleby's, where it's our business to earn your business. Since 1952, J.C. Hammond Sons has been keeping the Shoals comfortable year-round. As the oldest family-owned heating and air business in the Shoals area, they've built a reputation for a reliable service you can trust, whether it's for your home or your business.

Need installation, repair, or maintenance? The experienced team at J.C. Hammond Sons is ready to help with all your residential and commercial heating and cooling needs. Visit them at 2536 Florence Boulevard or call 256-764-7386 today. J.C. Hammond Sons, serving the Shoals with dependable comfort since 1952. Alabama license number 12179. Are you ready to make a difference for the environment while helping the visually impaired at the same time? Then donate your vehicle to Heritage for the Blind today by calling 1-800-983-6530. Every donated vehicle will either be properly recycled in an eco-friendly manner or given a new life through reuse.

Donating your vehicle is easy. Simply call 1-800-983-6530 and Heritage for the Blind will do the rest. They'll even arrange for your vehicle to be picked up at no cost to you. And for a limited time, when you donate your car, you'll receive a $200 restaurant voucher and a two-night, three-day hotel stay at one of 50 locations. Call 1-800-983-6530 right now to schedule your vehicle donation and make a positive impact on the environment while helping others. Heritage for the Blind, where every car donation counts and every person makes a difference.

[1:34:59] Call 1-800-983-6530 now. This advertisement is paid for by Heritage for the Blind. You can never have too many tools. Shop DeWalt deals in Lowe's. Get a free select DeWalt 20-volt max power tool when you buy a select 20-volt max 5-amp hour battery kit. Plus, get a free additional DeWalt 20-volt max 8-amp hour battery when you buy a DeWalt 10-inch 20-volt max dual-bevel compounded miter saw. Our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Valid through 624, while supplies last. Selection varies by location. From the FIFA World Cup to competitive business environments, grand ambitions lead to game-changing achievements.

At Bank of America, we're there to support businesses at every step, providing insights and expertise to help you gain an edge. He shoots, he scores! What would you like the power to do? Explore winning business solutions at bfa.com slash gamechangers. Bank of America, official bank of the FIFA World Cup 2026. Okay, class, let's begin. Psst, love your boots. I just sold a pair like that on eBay. Oh, really? Yeah, it took like two seconds to list, and they sold almost immediately. I've been selling everything lately.

Some chunky boots, a faux fur coat I never wore, and a vintage chair that was more of an expensive clothing rack. You know, I actually bought these on eBay. Wait, are you, Kitty, sell stuff from Brooklyn? Okay, quiet, please. Find what you love, sell what you don't. eBay. Things people love. Harry Douglas here to help you get in on the sweet life with cotton candy five-hour energy. It's that classic throwback cotton candy flavor, but with zero sugar and a five-hour energy boost. I keep these with me so I can tackle that sweet tooth with a tasty caffeine kick and no guilty sugary aftermath.

Bring on the sweetness with cotton candy five-hour energy shots. Cotton candy five-hour energy. Available online at fivehourenergy.com or Amazon. Progressive presents the Sports Flash on 93-9, The Score. Stanley Cup Finals back in action tonight. It's game number five. The series is all square at two apiece. Tonight, the Hurricanes host the Golden Knights. College World Series gets underway tomorrow in Omaha, Nebraska. West Virginia takes on Troy. Then it's North Carolina against Ole Miss. Saturday, Alabama meets Oklahoma. Georgia plays Texas. Bundle auto and home, renters or condo, and save with Progressive.

I'm John Thayer with the Sports Flash presented by Progressive on 93-9, The Score. Progressive knows it ain't easy navigating the open plains of home insurance, but there is one man who can help tame that wild herd of options. The Home Quote Explorer. Note, Progressive's Home Quote Explorer is not a real person, but an online tool that lets you compare home insurance. He's the type of filler who helps you decide on the right insurance, even if it ain't with him. Again, not a person, just an online tool that helps you find great home coverage.

A real pioneer. Okay, fine. Just do the thing. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company affiliates and third-party insurers comparison rates on available in all states or situations. The Score. Now, back with Boomo Bugg on 93-9, The Score. Welcome back in time to check in with the man who drives you home every afternoon in a place called Tuscaloosa, Alabama. He's Ryan Fowler, host of the game on Tide 109 FM in T-Town. Ryan, welcome in. How are you? Man, it's a good day. Good day. I'm not as excited about people, about the World Cup.

I'm not a World Cup guy. Well, I just don't know anything about it. I mean, I didn't grow up. He scored! Well, I didn't grow up. I grew up in North Alabama, and I didn't grow up playing soccer. I don't know anything about it. I mean, listen, other than a goalie, I don't know if I could even name a position. Like, I just don't know enough about it. You know, when you think about, you know, all these different sports, you think about, you know, growing up playing football, growing up playing baseball, you certainly understand it.

Basketball wasn't very good at it, but I mean, at least I understand it. Soccer, I don't know anything about it, but I don't know if people are excited, as they should be. I think it's kind of fun to see, what is it, Mr. Freddy on the social network accounts traveling throughout. He's from Germany, and he's traveling to all these different southern parts. He was at the Lee County Stadium the other day and enjoying that venue. And, I mean, you know, that's no doubt it. I mean, it's a unique stadium, but we're not all like that.

Hopefully, he walked out and going to the SEC. You know, and Tuscaloosa had a chance to host that event. I'm not sure if you guys realize that, and they passed on it, and I don't know if they knew how big and how popular it was going to be, and they called Lee County, and Lee County, you know, took it up. So, hey, grateful to them. I'm sure it made a lot of money for them. It was a miss for Tuscaloosa from a swing and miss standpoint.

[1:40:05] Appreciate that story, Ryan. Yeah, where I grew up, it was baseball, football, and hide-and-seek. Those were the big games. Not a lot of soccer there where I grew up, either, Ryan. But speaking of baseball, are you ready for some baseball from Omaha coming up this weekend for Alabama? Yeah, it's a big series. Big series and certainly a team that, you know, I went out one of the games, watched all of them on television other than the final one that I went to. But to be able to see that crowd back in, Joe, was something that I remember when I was an undergrad here, because you've got to remember, we were going through some, you know, football struggles.

We were going through NCAA probation. We had a couple of losing seasons in a row. It was just the energy around baseball is where it was at. And then, you know, Mark Godfrey kind of got the basketball program, kind of turned around. So it was baseball, basketball, and then football was always the dominant sport. But it was just the NCAA knew that you were not going to be able to win at a level that, you know, Alabama fans expect. So baseball breaking that attendance record last Saturday evening was pretty special to see that crowd.

And that's the way I've been trying to tell my interns here at the station that that's what it used to be like. You could not get a seat. It was standing room only, and they would sell those for any series, SEC series. If you had an SEC series, Georgia, LSU, Auburn, you know, every other year, Mississippi State, you would go and you'd have to get standing room only tickets because you could not get any of the other tickets. And it was crazy. So you'd have to find a place to either sit down and out of the grassy area.

There was a steering section that you could go and sit in. It was general mission because that might have been the only place you could even get a seat. But last week, same way. So hopefully this is not just for the program for this year, but hopefully this re-energizes this Alabama baseball program because, you know, it's a great place to watch a game. They've done some really good improvements there. Spent a lot of money a few years ago. I'm sure it's not, you know, it's not the best by any means in the SEC, but it's a great facility to go watch a game.

And the entertainment value is pretty fairly false effective. So we'll see if this re-energizes the program. I'd like to see it back to a level. You know, we air every Alabama baseball game on our station. And there was times that we would go off early and people were like complaining, be like, hey, why did you not work the last two hours? Well, baseball was on. But nobody cared. I mean, literally, there was nobody that cared about Alabama baseball. So hopefully this rejuvenates that crowd. And we'll see if it does.

Ryan, you had Greg Byrne, I believe, on your show as a guest earlier this week. And we've talked about this. This has been a banner year for Alabama athletics. No, they didn't win four national championships. The softball team came within the game of getting to the championship series. But, and again, I know your listeners, our listeners, consider 11-4 and getting whilped the last two games. Not a great year, but made the playoffs, beat Oklahoma. Once again, Nadeau's against Alabama in the Sweet 16. Women's basketball had a solid year.

Softball, baseball. Was Greg Byrne grinning from ear to ear earlier this week? He was. And, you know, we exchanged a couple of messages. I was trying to find out. And I know his team is doing research, too. But we believe, I've not been able to find any evidence that tells me otherwise. But we believe that when you look at this Alabama baseball team doing what they did. Softball doing what they did. Men's and women's basketball making the tournament. College football playoff appearance. We believe, and he said Aaron Jordan, his SID, Sports Information Department, is working on this.

But they've not been able to find another, not just this year, but in the history of D1 sports, that that happened in one year. I can't find it either. I think it's the first time a D1 program, and I didn't go through D2 programs, but I did my own research. I was not able to find another team that had that type of success in one academic year. So, I think it's something that you should be proud of. And I know he was, and he had a, you know, a couple of moments.

But we talked about hiring coaches. And, you know, sticking with Coach Patrick Murphy. You know, a lot of people wanted him to do this. But his track record, okay, it's pretty good. I mean, if you really spend time thinking about, like, there's certain people that can hire coaches. Now, the guy across the state, you know, I know he tweeted out a couple of days ago, you know, the golf program and stuff like that. They certainly had some, you know, national championships there. But there's certain people that are good at hiring coaches, and then there's certain people that need to put a consulting company together and let them hire coaches.

[1:45:15] Greg Byrne, it seems like every coach he hires has some type of success. And so, you know, when you really, you know, you spend a couple of minutes, you know, kind of digesting it, chewing on a little bit, I think it's a, it's not just a better year. It's, it's, it's something that I think it's going to project the future. Because, I mean, let's go through the program. Softball's young. I mean, they got a lot of players coming back as long as that portal doesn't eat them alive or, you know, that they lose players that need a catcher and see if they can find one there.

But if you, if you step back a little bit and you, you begin to kind of analyze, you know, some of the, Nate Oates is not going anywhere. If Rob Vaughn is able to take this program to that next level, then I think you'll, you'll look at it there. But then if you think about Kalen Moore and this, this football, Alabama's projected by many to go to the college football playoffs this upcoming year. I think they're a playoff team. I can't chew it any other way that this team is going to make the college football playoffs.

I don't think it's just a one-year outlier. I think he's got this program now. You know, football is what everybody cares about. And can they get that level? I don't know what Alabama fans are going to be pleased with. Like, like, is a playoff appearance and a win in the playoffs unsuccessful? It is in Tuscaloosa. Yeah. Yeah. But I don't know what is successful. Like, like, is it a semifinal? Because, listen, you can't have this national championship for bus mentality because you're going to set yourself up for failure.

I mean, in this current era, but there's a lot of programs that would kill to do what Alabama did. I mean, if you offered, I mean, you know, and we've picked on Auburn this segment. If you offered them a playoff appearance and 11 wins, what would they do in the current drought that they're in? Mississippi State, Arkansas, some of these programs being able to get double-digit wins. Yeah. I mean, there's no, I mean, hey, how about Texas, who spent $40 million on a roster that didn't go to the playoffs?

Yeah. At some point, you've got to step back a little bit and go, okay, what is success? What is success? I don't know what that answer is because Alabama fans are still stuck on a national title, but I don't feel like that's a reasonable expectation. I think this is not just a one-year thing. I think you're going to see this continue. I think you're right. I think fans. Hey, Alabama just tweeted out something. Go ahead. All right. Lord, they must be listening to your show. Hello, Greg Byrne over there.

The only D1 program in the NCAA with an appearance in the college football, women's NCAA basketball tournament, men's NCAA basketball tournament, women's college world series, and college world series in an academic year. So they confirmed what you and I just talked about three seconds ago. So they just tweeted out literally one minute ago, one minute ago, the only program in D1 history to accomplish that. Yes, it's been a better year to Colorado, but I guess they're listening to you guys right now. Well, Greg, if you're listening, listen, we appreciate the shout-out.

We'll be looking for the check in the mail. How about that, Ryan? There you go. There you go. But pretty awesome when you think about it. I mean, and I don't think it's going to slow down. Ryan, I think this football team will be a national championship contender in 2027 if they keep the majority of these guys here. Now, that's not overlooking 2026. But this is still a young team. If this team comes together and they keep them there, we'll see how that goes. Great stuff, as always.

Who have you got on the show this afternoon? And where can we listen? So we've got Rodney Orr coming up in about 10 minutes. He'll leave us out at 2 o'clock. Scott McClanahan, one of the great baseball players here. Lance Cormier, Bill Bender, is going to be a part of the show. That's all starting at 2 o'clock on Tide, 109 in Tuscaloosa. Always an honor. You guys have a great rest of your week, man. Thank you. And stay as cool as you can as well. Ryan Feller, host of the game, Tide 109, FEM in Tuscaloosa.

BB. The Braves, we haven't said that much this year, but they need to get on track tonight in Chicago. Harold, I mentioned this yesterday. Chicago, after beating the Braves 2-1 yesterday, they've now won 18-21 home games. Yeah. That is incredible. Chris Sale cannot get any support. No. The last three losses, 3-1, 2-0, and 2-1. The Braves got to start hitting when he is pitching Prez on the mound tonight. And, as usual, you can hear that game on 93-9, the score. Look out for the fields. Now, only eight games back.

They've won seven of the last ten, so the Braves need to throw some cold water on that chase coming up tonight again here on 93-9, the score. It's going to take care of best for now. On behalf of BB, Greg, James Blair, the entire crew here. Harold LeBug, thank you so much for your time today. Let's do it again tomorrow, noon to 2 for the Boomer Buck Show, back here on Sports Radio, 93-9, the score. Thank you.