The Matt Jones Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

The Matt Jones Podcast is proud to host KSR's resident thespian, Steve Zahn. An actor whose career has spanned decades in Hollywood explained what drives him and why he will never leave Kentucky. A hilarious guest, you'll enjoy hearing his thoughts on Kentucky football and his acting career, such as... <ul>

Getting offered a part vs. auditioning for a part. 

Fans of a Diary of a Wimpy Kid have grown up.

That time Zahn almost died while making That Thing You Do.

Steve's start in soaps and his breakthrough in Reality Bites.

The difference between working on a big budget movie and an indie flick. 

Driving through the night in Mississippi.  

You don't always want TV pilots to get picked up. 

Few people are easier to work with than Adam Sandler. 

A history enthusiast, Steve is a friend of the Perryville Battlefield. 

Are you ready for some football? The NFL season kicks off Thursday nighty when the defending Super Bowl Champion Kansas City Chiefs host the Houston Texans. To prepare you for the 2020 season, Matt is joined by his former Sunday NFL Countdown co-hosts Geoff Schwartz and Myron Medcalf to break down all 32 NFL teams ahead to what will be a season unlike any other. <strong>Highlights</strong>:<ul>

Why won't people come around on Lamar Jackson? 

Can Cam Newton work in New England? 

How the absence of the preseason hurt rookies like Lynn Bowden. 

Early expectations for Joe Burrow. 

The Steelers are a dark horse team to win the AFC. 

Will Tennessee Titan Up and take the South? 

"Jacksonville is basically a Big 12 team this year." 

Which QB's brother always picks him to be the preseason MVP? 

Will the Day Prescott contract talk affect the Cowboys?

The Washington Football Team is a disaster. 

What Jameis Winston in Tampa Bay tells us about Tom Brady's upcoming season.

The Matt Jones Podcast welcomes on ESPN staff writer and radio personality Myron Medcalf to break down recent events in Minneapolis, the latest in the world of college basketball, and when we could see a return to action<br /><br />Highlights:<ul>

Stories of co-hosting ESPN Radio's Countdown to Kickoff together during the NFL season

Medcalf's early start covering Kentucky basketball, specifically during the 2014-15 season

Karl-Anthony Towns' air shots

Living in Minneapolis during the George Floyd protests

What did the national reports miss during it all? 

What are they saying about defunding the police?

Will Minnesota become the political battleground of America for the next several months? 

Dan Orlovsky's growth as an NFL analyst at ESPN

Bringing personality into radio

Colin Kaepernick's impact and whether or not he's on an NFL roster this season

Medcalf's thoughts on John Calipari and his impact on and off the floor

How serious will the G League be about signing elite high school talent moving forward?

Will the college basketball season start on time? 

The Matt Jones Podcast welcomes on Ryan McGee, ESPN senior writer and co-host of the Marty & McGee podcast, to break down the latest in the world of college football and when we could see a return to action. Highlights:<ul>

Is there more of a push to start college football than other sports? 

The outside forces at schools making things complicated

The decision to bring fans back and who will be making that call

Will we see a fan uproar about who can come to games and where they sit?

The passing of Tennessee football legend Johnny Majors

Does Ryan agree with Matt's take that Tennessee and Nebraska are the two schools that have fallen off the most, historically speaking?

Why is NASCAR not as popular as it once was?

Southern accents in the media

As protests continue across the country, The Matt Jones Podcast welcomes on Dr. Ricky Jones, a Courier-Journal columnist, host of The Ricky Jones Show and chair of the University of Louisville's Department of Pan-African Studies. Ricky provides perspective on race relations in Louisville and throughout America that you will not be able to find anywhere else. Highlights:-- Are these protests just a fad?-- Colin Kaepernick ended up on the right side of history.-- White supremacy isn't just people marching around in hoods.-- Ricky's reaction to the video of George Floyd's death.-- The positive consequences from good cops holding bad cops accountable.-- There are similarities in groupthink with fraternity hazing and within police forces.-- Does the packaging of arguments and points matter?-- Democrats "treat black people like booty calls."

WARNING: The episode contains explicit language.The Matt Jones Podcast welcomes one of ESPN's brightest young stars. Mina Kimes does a little bit of everything for the four-letter network. She is a regular on Around the Horn and Highly Questionable and hosts two podcasts, ESPN Dailyand the NFL-centric Mina Kimes Show. She discussed her rise through the ranks and the recent comments from Drew Brees and Vic Fangio that reflect how far "the center has moved" on race relations in sports. Highlights:  

-- How does one transition from investigating hedge funds into NFL analysis? -- The economics of race relations have changed the tone from pro sports owners and corporations.  -- What happens when someone you admire in sports disagrees with your beliefs?  -- The lost art of nuance on social media. -- Mina describes the thrill of being the NFL's first female color analyst. -- Training for sports media jobs you've never done before. -- Sal Pal!

The Matt Jones Podcast has relaunched in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The opening week continues with another one of Matt's longtime friends, Gregg Doyel. The former CBS Sports writer and current columnist for the Indianapolis Star discussed how he's evolved as a writer through his own personal growth. Highlights:-- Is Gregg now a homer?-- Worry no-more worksheets.-- Is empathy for everyone a noble characteristic?-- Doyel's relationship with the late Tyler Trent.-- How does one transition from tearjerkers to the Colts' QB competition?-- Why is Indiana perpetually terrible at basketball?

The Matt Jones Podcast keeps on rolling through the coronavirus pandemic as one of Matt's longtime friends, Bomani Jones, joins the program. The ESPN television and radio personality provides a perspective on sports and culture you can't find anywhere else. Matt and Bomani answer a few important and pertinent questions, like...-- Can pro athletes publicly avoid talking politics? -- Is Dennis Rodman interesting? -- Should the NBA play out the end of the season or just start over in the fall?  -- Is baseball dead?  -- What went wrong with the NBA, Daryl Morey and China?-- Did Biden make a misstep on The Breakfast Club? -- Why is Bomani pessimistic for the return of football? 

The Matt Jones Podcast is back. To kick off another round of podcasts, Matt Jones invites his old buddy Tony Vanetti onto a Zoom conversation to talk about what's happened since coronavirus shut down the world. He also asked Tony to look at his butt. Just another normal day at Kentucky Sports Radio. Highlights:<br /><br />-- Have our brains been changed by cell phones?-- Some things could change for the better after the COVID-19 pandemic.-- Loneliness during the coronavirus quarantine.-- Two things the pandemic has confirmed to Vanetti about America.-- Jody Demling's battle with COVID-19.-- The most interesting stat on people's behavior during the coronavirus quarantine.-- What will America look like at the end of August? 

It's been a wild week for Matt Jones. Taken off the radio after an FEC complaint was filed by Mitch McConnell's people, the man behind KSR took a few days away before getting back in front of a microphone. Matt explains exactly what happened, what was going through his mind at the time and much more during a delightful discussion with his friend, Steve Romines. Highlights:<br /><br />-- Did anyone ever believe Kentucky was going to beat Tennessee? <br /><br />— Why Tennessee fans are worse than Louisville fans. <br /><br />— There are two parts to McConnell’s complaint and one is nonsense. <br /><br />— #FreeMattJones <br /><br />— When Matt is making his decision.<br /><br />— That time Romines worked for Mitch McConnell in D.C.<br /><br />— A Big Thank You