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Sturgill Simpson in in the midst of his Why Not? Tour as he travels across the United States before eventually making his way into Europe. This week, he stopped into Rogers, Arkansas to play at the Walmart AMP.
While there, he decided to ruffle the feathers of the crowd in attendance.
Simpson was born in Jackson, Kentucky before making the move to Lexington. He’s a big supporter of the hometown Wildcats!
With that being said, he’s fully aware of what transpired over the offseason with former Wildcats basketball coach John Calipari.
After spending 15 seasons with the program, leading Kentucky to a national championship in 2012, he opted to move on. Arkansas was his landing place, with the Razorbacks able to lure him away with the promise of a massive NIL budget and a fresh start.
Arkansas has deep pockets when it comes to top donors, and Walmart and Tyson Foods were major players in helping make that move possible.
Despite Calipari’s early success in Lexington, the fanbase began to turn against him after a few early exits from the NCAA Tournament. Sturgill Simpson didn’t appear too heartbroken over the final outcome!
While on stage in Arkansas, he trolled Coach Cal while warning his listeners about the new sheriff in town – Mark Pope.
@kentuckysportsradio Strugill Simpson let Arkansas fans know Mark Pope is not “messing around” 😂 #bbn #kentuckybasketball #arkansas #arkansasrazorbacks #kentuckywildcats ♬ original sound – KSR
Pope, a former Kentucky player, has returned to his alma mater after coaching at BYU. He’ll look to reverse what some believed was a negative course and get the Wildcats back in the mix for titles.
Of course, those fans in attendance didn’t necessarily take kindly to the shot at their new basketball leader.
In unison, the crowd immediately hit back by Calling the Hogs!
@jackson_martin_music Nobody is safe from calling the hogs ##sturgillsimpson##fyp ♬ original sound – Jackson Martin
Both sides seemed to have some fun with the exchange, and you can bet everyone involved will be watching when the two teams face off on the hardwood this season.
As for the tour, it was Simpson’s fourth straight stop in SEC Country after playing in Mississippi, Oklahoma, and Texas earlier this month. He’ll keep the theme going with his next show in Alabama.
We’ll see if he can do anything to rile up the Tide next time out!