Ask Mike: Cal Hate Backfires, Bud Walton Seating Changes and When Mike Met Jerry Jones

FAYETTEVILLE, Ar. (KNWA/KFTA) – Our first question is from mousetown who asks: Were you as surprised by Arkansas’ win over Kentucky as I was. I still can’t believe it. How did it happen?

A. It was one of the strangest games I’ve ever seen. Kentucky’s own fans who turned a game against a next to the bottom SEC team into a national championship environment caused their own team to lose. The sheer amount of hate coming from those stands actually pumped Arkansas players up. Late in the game Kentucky’s players had this figured out but nothing could be done about it. Their own fans had created a mess that they had to deal with. When it was over those fans were blaming Mark Pope. He’d gone from being a hero in Kentucky’s road win over Tennessee to a terrible hire. It was unbelievable. They have to have the most idiotic fan base in college basketball. That’s how it happened.

Q. RazorAlex88 says: Ever since last March, UK poured on the taunts and gave Razorback Nation so much grief. I am dying laughing that they spent all day outside the Rupp to fill it up and then go home disappointed. It’s so hard to be humble! WPS!

A. Those Hog fans like you need to bask in that win until Wednesday. Don’t even think about that trip to Austin. Enjoy this gift like you’re doing. Laugh. Tell everybody it’s hard to be humble. But understand that there are Arkansas fans who still didn’t want to give the Hogs much credit. They’re the ones who have been saying that Kentucky fans were right about Cal. He was a bad hire. He’s not worth what John Tyson is paying him and the players are only in it for the money. They are not going to enjoy this win because it would upset their narrative.

Q. Hammerhead28 says: Give Credit where credit is due, that was a great game by Arkansas. My concern is DJ Wagner. If he were to get in foul trouble who would take over the point? Please don’t tell me Nelly, he scares me every time he dribbles.

A. Remember, Nelly is just now getting a lot of playing time. We’re only three games into having no Boogie Fland. You’re right, Davis almost had several turnovers but he looks like he’s getting more comfortable. My theory is, at Florida Atlantic he didn’t go up against the kind of defenders he’s seeing in the SEC. It’s an adjustment. His concentration has to get better.

Q. hobhog says: They just lost their “Super Bowl”. The game they had been laying in wait all year. The “WE TOLD YOU SO” game.
I have not laughed so much watching our Hogs in years. I’m going to enjoy this one. For a long time.

A. Courtney interviewed one of their students before the game and he said this was the biggest game ever. Again, seriously? A 1-6 SEC team is the biggest game ever? This is nuts. There were fans who paid $800 to watch their team lose to a team that might not even make the NCAA Tournament. So yes, laugh. Laugh a lot. It’s crazy but it also hilarious.

But how about Mario Maitland, who apparently is a content creator for Kentucky Sports Radio. Under the headline of “Arkansas players took shots at Kentucky fans” posted an online video that clearly showed Kentucky fans shouting insults at Cal in the tunnel as he did a post game interview with the SEC Network. Billy Richmond walks by, hears the insults and yells at them, Go home. That was it. Arkansas players taking shots? Sure.

Q. hawg1221 says: From what I’ve read, Kentucky fans claim it was our “Super Bowl”… trying to downplay it and explain away the loss. If it wasn’t a big game (Super Bowl) to them, then why did students camp out 24 hours in advance to get in?

A. This is what delusional people do. They take their own crazy obsession and transfer to somebody else. Any Arkansas fan can tell you, almost nobody was excited about this game. Most were dreading it because they believed Arkansas would get embarrassed. Just one more punch in the gut. So no, it was anything but a national championship game to Arkansas fans. But of course, they sure love it now.

Q. WVHogfan wants to know: Do you compare beating Kentucky in basketball to beating Texas in football?

A. Not the same. In football Arkansas fans dislike Texas way more that Texas dislikes Arkansas. In basketball that is reversed. Kentucky fans anger at Arkansas goes all the way back to the Hogs first year in the SEC. Nolan beat them in his first trip to Rupp. They were not used to that. Over the years the Hogs have has good success against Kentucky so it’s a rivalry game to Arkansas fans but it’s not what Texas is in football. No fans have stolen a backboard from Bud Walton after a win over Kentucky and anchored it to a sidewalk on Dickson street. They’re never filled Dickson Street with fans from Colliers Drug all the way down past the railroad tracks, partying past midnight after a win over Kentucky.

Q. sglies says: The win in Rupp was awesome but now we know what they can do there will be new pressure to back it up. Do you think they can still make the NCAA Tournament?

A. As I said last week if you’re looking for predictions I’m not your guy. I thought Arkansas would lose to Kentucky 15. The truth is college games are tough to predict because they’re unpredictable. People who get predictions right are always crowing about it but they vanish when they get a prediction wrong. I will defer to Courtney on predictions about Arkansas and the NCAA Tournament.

A. Sure. Here’s the quote:

“Mark Pope is doing a great job. Not a good job. A great job,” John Calipari said. “Today? We kind of got them today. Just move on. Next game. This is one game. And if anybody takes it (as) more than that? You’re crazy. It’s one game.”

The interesting thing is that Jeff Goodman, a so called expert on college basketball, predicted after the win that Cal would make the post game press conference all about himself. Wrong genius. It was the opposite from that. Cal downplayed the whole thing even though it was a huge win for him and Arkansas.

Q. RedDogRazorback says: The letter that went out on Basketball Season tickets is just a form of age discrimination. I am hearing a lot of contributors are not going to pledge if they don’t know where their seats are going to be. How many people are on the wait list for Basketball tickets? Has anyone thought about if this change doesn’t work. It is just like the Superbowl Tickets $8,000 or stay home and watch it on TV.

A. Even though technically some long time Bud Walton Arena season ticket holders may end up getting moved and yes, some of them are senior citizens having had those tickets since 1993, this is not why this is happening. Just like with Baum Stadium a couple of years ago, season tickets to Bud Walton are underpriced because the school hasn’t made enough periodic price increases. It would like Walmart keeping a large bag of potato chips at $.49 and one day they raise it to $4.99 because that it’s current market value.

Fans don’t want to hear this but Hunter Yurachek, in his 2025-26 budget, is going to have to come up with a way to pay for $25 million dollars in new expenses because of revenue sharing. If he doesn’t do it Arkansas fall behind other SEC schools. Revenue sharing is a good answer to the out of control buying of players with NIL money. Even though there will be a cap on revenue sharing to make all school equal, you still have to be able to meet the cap.

I’m told that there are enough people who want season tickets but haven’t been about to get them to make up for any fans who get mad and drop their tickets.
There was a fuss created when this same approach was used at Baum-Walker Stadium but the baseball team hasn’t suffered a loss in revenue.

Q. Pigsfeat wants to know: What is your opinion on Junior College and NCAA Division II,III years not counting toward Division I eligibility?

A. I like it. If you combine it with a rule supposedly coming on a straight five year eligibility for athletes, it will create spots for players who don’t jump to the pros and by the time they’re in their 4th and 5th seasons they may have been developed into players who can not only help you win but have leadership qualities that NFL or NBA bound one or two and done players never have.

Q. Marty Byrde’s proxy asks: Can you give a preview of the upcoming softball team and their season? And what has been the biggest reason for their success?

A. Courtney is the expert on that. She’s been working on our upcoming preseason softball special.

Courtney – My answer to this is in the full video, or check out our softball special on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. on KNWA and KARK!

Q: parallaxpig asks: With the money grab now wide open between networks, colleges and athletes, how soon will football games be an add on charge to your cable/streaming service. I bet it happens in five years or less.

A. I hate to tell you this but it’s already happened…indirectly. If you have a cable TV service, a satellite dish or a streaming service like YouTube TV, FCC makes them use a signal from local network stations. So if you watching a game on NBC, Fox, CBS or ABC you watching a feed from one of those location TV stations. The networks charge those stations to use their signal and when they raise the price for that those stations raise the price for the cable, satellite or streaming providers to use their signal to make money from the public. Also streaming content like ESPN 3 is and extra charge that the customer pays directly to ESPN 3. They can raise that price anytime you want.

Is there a way to avoid this? Sure. My friend Eddy Lynn Lyon lives in Lubbock. He gets 47 off the air channels from the rabbit ears on top of his TV. It’s all free. He can’t get any ESPN or other cable content, but if NBC, Fox, CBS or ABC carries a game he watches it for free. If there’s a big game that he can’t get, he goes to a sports bar.

Q. Hogdogger wants to know: Did you ever meet Jerry Jones? I’m a cowboys fan and hope the new coach can get them going again. With the Hogs sad seasons in football and basketball I guess it’s a curse to root for Dallas too.

A. Nobody has ever formally introduced me to Jerry Jones. I’ve interviewed him before so I guess I introduced myself at some time in the past. I once stood next to him at an informal press conference before a media/coaches golf tournament in Fayetteville. My impression of him is that he’s got a pretty big ego. Certainly he has done big things for the Razorbacks. The Jerry and Gene Jones family Student Center is one of the biggest selling tool in recruiting in all sports. It a combination academic study center with the latest in computers and the best cafeteria for student athletes I’ve ever seen with dieticians and personal chefs in the building.

As far as being the owner of the Cowboys that’s one of he reasons why I prefer college sports where you can fire an AD if he is really bad at his job. Jerry Jones is like the NFL’s version of the “Emperor Has No Clothes.” He can do what he wants. The fans have no say in his decisions.