KSR Today: Moving on from the Olympics with Kentucky Football, Keanu Reeves, and more

We said goodbye to the 2024 Summer Olympic Games with Sunday’s closing ceremony in Paris. The three-hour televised event concluded with Tom Cruise jumping from the top of the Stade de France to grab the Olympic flag and then carry it off via motorcycle and airplane to Los Angeles, where the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Billie Eilish, Snoop, and Dr. Dre performed at Venice Beach to celebrate the games moving to L.A. in 2028. Back in France, singer Yseult sang “My Way” as a fireworks show closed the book on Paris. It was a very entertaining ending to a very entertaining Olympic Games. I watched it twice.

Moving forward, we’ll miss all of the fun in Paris, like Devin Booker riding his bike home from late-night clubbing with Team USA. But it’s almost football time in the Bluegrass.

The United States won the final Olympic medal tally

The United States and China tied with 40 gold medals apiece, marking the first-ever tie for gold in the Summer Olympic Games. So, the tiebreaker turned to the total medal count, where the Americans had a significant edge with 126 total medals, the most for the U.S. since the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

Rank	Country	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	United States	40	44	42	126
2	China	40	27	24	91
3	Great Britain	14	22	29	65
4	France	16	26	22	64
5	Australia	18	19	16	53
6	Japan	20	12	13	45
7	Italy	12	13	15	40
8	Netherlands	15	7	12	34
9	Germany	12	13	8	33
10	Republic of Korea	13	9	10	32
11	Canada	9	7	11	27
12	New Zealand	10	7	3	20
13	Brazil	3	7	10	20
14	Hungary	6	7	6	19
15	Spain	5	4	9	18
16	Uzbekistan	8	2	3	13
17	Iran	3	6	3	12
18	Ukraine	3	5	4	12
19	Sweden	4	4	3	11
20	Kenya	4	2	5	11
21	Belgium	3	1	6	10
22	Poland	1	4	5	10
23	Romania	3	4	2	9
24	Denmark	2	2	5	9
25	Cuba	2	1	6	9

Additionally, 11 Kentucky Wildcats won 13 medals in Paris. They’re coming home with nine gold medals, two silver and two bronze.

GOLD
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – Women’s 400m Hurdles
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone – Women’s 4×400 Relay
Alexis Holmes – Women’s 4×400 Relay
Masai Russell – Women’s 100m Hurdles
Devin Booker – Men’s Basketball
Bam Adebayo – Men’s Basketball
Anthony Davis – Men’s Basketball
Lee Kiefer – Women’s Individual Foil Fencing
Lee Kiefer – Women’s Team Foil Fencing

SILVER
Daniel Roberts – Men’s 110m Hurdles
Avery Skinner – Women’s Volleyball

BRONZE
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn – Women’s 100m Hurdles
Rhyne Howard – Women’s 3×3 Basketball

Preseason football camp rolls on in Lexington

Back in Kentucky, Kentucky Football enters the second full week of fall camp. The team scrimmaged over the weekend, followed by interviews with Mark Stoops, Brock Vandagriff, and J.J. Weaver.

Here are the major news pieces from the Wildcats’ Saturday practice and the conversations that followed:

— In his first press conference since the NCAA’s ruling, Mark Stoops expressed his disappointment while acknowledging the wrongdoings behind the violations. “I really can’t say much,” Stoops said. “I’m not trying to dodge it. But I mean, you’re disappointed because people did a lot of hard work to get to that place. And obviously, three years ago to now, things have changed dramatically. But it still doesn’t make it OK.” He added that his focus is on this current team and camp, not what occurred three years ago.

— College football has new sideline technology this season. Bush Hamdan spoke about the new tablets last week. On Saturday, Brock Vandagriff said the new helmet communication will help the Cats with tempo. “The quarterback doesn’t have to look to the sideline now.”

— Some injury news from Saturday: DJ Waller Jr., the new cornerback transfer from Michigan, did not participate. Mark Stoops called it a “slight injury” that kept Waller out. “Nothing major.” Also, Hardley Gilmore, a freshman wide receiver with tons of potential, suffered an undisclosed injury in the scrimmage. More on Gilmore over on KSBoard.

Join KSR Plus! With a KSR Plus membership, you get access to bonus content and KSBoard, KSR’s message board, to chat with fellow Cats fans and get exclusive scoop.

— The new punter, Aidan Laros, was a Saturday standout. Kentucky’s punting has been lacking since Max Duffy‘s departure, so Laros, who Duffy recommended to Stoops, may get the field position game back on track.

— This deep ball from Brock Vandagriff to Dane Key looked exciting.

🙌 @BrockVandagriff ➡️ @DaneKey6 pic.twitter.com/tU5o9GFX7t

— Kentucky Football (@UKFootball) August 10, 2024

Bush Hamdan to speak after today’s practice

Today, UK offensive coordinator Bush Hamdan and the offense will speak after Monday morning’s practice. KSR will be there to hear the latest from Hamdan and some of his players. Last week, Hamdan raved about Gavin Wimsatt‘s ability to run the ball as QB2. We’ll get his thoughts on Saturday’s practice and more later this morning.

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The AP Preseason Poll drops today

The Wildcats should receive a few votes. We’ll let you know around noon.

Kentucky kicks off the 2024 season in 19 days

Nineteen days, my friends. Nineteen days until we’re in the Kroger Field parking lots. Nineteen days until the Wildcats open the season against Southern Miss under the lights. Who’s ready for those new blue LEDs?

Kroger Field is going to be lit this year 😼 pic.twitter.com/aDNPvEeoyj

— Kentucky Athletics (@UKAthletics) August 7, 2024

Dumas-Johnson wants in the game (the video game)

After initially opting out, Jamon Dumas-Johnson wants to be a part of EA Sports College Football 25, the popular college football video game franchise. The game recently updated its rosters with a downloadable patch to include players it missed in the July release. Now, the Wildcat linebacker wants in on the next update.

“UPDATE THE ROSTERS!!!!!!!” he tweeted Sunday morning.

UPDATE THE ROSTERS!!!!!!! @EASPORTSCollege

— JDJ (@JamonJohnsonn) August 11, 2024

DJ Waller Jr., who was a late addition in the spring, is another notable absence from Kentucky’s video game roster.

Devon Key started at safety for the Broncos yesterday

Dane’s older brother, Devon Key, made a surprise start for Denver in the Broncos’ preseason game in Indianapolis on Sunday. The former Western Kentucky University star was a guest on KSR last month before surprising his parents and Ryan Lemond, who were in attendance, with a starting assignment in his first 2024 preseason game.

Happy Birthday to Antoine Walker, Gerald Fitch, and Jim Lemaster

Today, we celebrate three Kentucky Basketball birthdays: Antoine Walker (48), Gerald Fitch (42), and Jim LeMaster (78). Happy Birthday, guys. Everyone do a shimmy for Antoine.

Keanu Reeves spotted in Lexington

Keanu Reeves’ band, Dogstar, played at the Lexington Opera House on Sunday. Before their show, the Hollywood actor was spotted around town. One Redditor saw him sipping a coffee outside Henry Clay’s Public House downtown; another caught Keanu signing copies of his comic book novel at Joseph-Beth Booksellers.

I just met Keanu Reeves downtown outside of Henry Clay!
byu/thevelvethand inlexington

KSR is at Boone’s Trace for the golf scramble

Today’s KSR show will broadcast live from Boone’s Trace National Golf Club for the first of three KSR golf scrambles this summer. (Sign up for the next two here and here.) On the show, we’ll wrap up the Olympic conversations and talk more about the Wildcats while taking calls from KSR’s listeners.

After today’s show, you can find KSR at KSBar and Grille on Wednesday and Thursday of this week. The show at the Kentucky State Fair is on Thursday, August 22, not this coming Thursday, August 15.

Go Cats, and have a great Monday.