Steve Bravera and Jag and Saliz. They have their eye on the ball on
Tucson Sports stick yet Fox Sports fourteen fifty streaming live. I mean I heard
radio wap Hey, welcome back to add all hero Fox Sports fourteen fifty.
Oh Steve, he's Jay. Now we have Samy with breaking news. Eye
on the ball, breaking news. Yeah. So I'm sure you guys saw
the intro video. H Brennan kind of first introduction to the team. He
came on with a surfboard shut off. Yeah, and in a swim suit.
Yeah. Well, no, that was that was at Samsley State.
No, that yeah, that was here. Wasn't not No, that was
a sound That's something he did last year at Sandsley State. Oh then I'm
wrong. Yeah, it's all right, it's right. They're wrong too sometimes.
Hey, well who are you? I don't know. That was my
bad. I thought for sure though, that was dude. The color of
the surfboard was Samsey State colors. No, man, I could have sworn,
but it's okay. I'm I'm mistaken. Yeah, well that's that the
swaggy whatever that talked about that Brian Peterson and Bran Peterson was asking about Hey.
Nonetheless, I kind of like that energy. I wish you would have
wish you would have done that here. But well that's the whole thing.
I mean, he's he's got that uh players coach. You know, he's
doesn't want to be them, but you know he can be like them.
And I think kids want to play before a guy like that. Oh man,
that's breaking. So jaj just showed me. Uh, Kevin Cummings are
wide receiver coach has just signed joined Jed and his staff. So Jed,
Yeah, how could Dennis Dodd be so wrong? I don't know. That's
very strange to me. He got the kid part right, Uh oh no,
that's right. No, he just talked about those two guys staying that's
not that they would try and get that. That's not good. So Jed
jet has taken the entire office, sign the entire offensive staff, and a
couple of defensive guys, John Richardson the secondary coach, but every everybody else
Scottie Graham. Yeah, I'm like five minutes ago they posted the offensive coordinator.
No, that doesn't bode well for you know what he's saying. You
know what I in any event, and again I was having an issue with
a coach getting kind of shoved down a new coach's throat. If if you
know, if Brent Brandon feels like he's got the guys that he needs,
and if they get to keep, you know, these players, then fine.
If they don't, fine, I mean, I don't know, I
understand what you're saying. But but you have some pretty good people. Yeah,
they're really good players. You really want them to stay. I mean,
they're as good as Arizona's hat here in a really long time. But
as they say, if they don't want to be, if he starts to
wind and he leaves the room for that's wine. Whine about that at all,
never ever. And it seemed that that whole staff obviously, yeah,
that's big I was gonna say. It seemed like that whole staff had a
really good relationship with the players, given that's why they were very upset,
And it seemed that Cummings was a big part of t mac and Fafita's kind
of development in their relationship. They went to the same high school. You
can infer that, You can infer that, yeah, I mean, so
we'll see the entire the entirety of the offensive staff now being gone doesn't really
bode well. But again, Brennan will have his staff or whoever will fill
that staff come in, and if we do have similar personnel that we did
last year, I'm sure a lot of coaches, a lot of people could
put up points with the guys that we have. So I'm gonna I'm gonna
go back and change my story. I have to because that was yesterday story
but still news today of Dodd saying that the kid might stay or Commings might
stay. Yeah, well he didn't. Yeah, so so we'll see God
in the ass. No. Well, see, that's what I was waiting
for. It took him out a minute. I was wrong. That's that's
obviously the Brendan news is as breaking as it gets for you, of a
and we'll see what he can do. I was a big Jet fan,
I'm sure as everyone was, so that it's stung. It sucked. And
similarly to just coaches leaving in general, they have to say like, oh,
I see myself with this program, and that's what he did here.
You know, they don't they do they do not, especially when you're dead
fish who's been at you at fourteen different places in sixteen years. He didn't
have to say that. He just could have said I'm happy to be here.
You know, Tucson looks like a special place to me, and I'm
gonna enjoy my time here. Yeah, but even there didn't say I'm here
for the long haul. He didn't say that today because he didn't need to.
What he needs to do is show that he wants to be here for
the long Well. With we have to say with Jed, it was I
think given this season and the pressure of he was he's like a hot new
item in terms of coaching college coaching, and he's out a program. So
let's be Frank isn't known for its football success, right and as a coach
that has that history it you could you had to see it coming. But
it was also like you had to you had to think what he was saying
was a little bit truthful. Yeah, I'm looking at I'm looking at our
schedule over here on the board, and you weren't here the last two days
when we were saying none of us has a problem with taking that job.
What we have the problem with is what he said. Yeah, you know,
leading into that and that everything he said became bullcrap. It became a
little hypocritical, very hypocritical, not a little hypocritical. It reminds me of
the PGA. Yeah yeah, right, yeah, it says all exactly.
Say say you don't what I had to take this job because you know it
sets myself up, my stuff, of my family up financially for a hundred
years. Fine, yeah, but don't say just say that, yeah,
just yeah, yeah exactly. And I will say one of the callers before
this hour, I do think he it maybe didn't show, but I do
think he was a little maybe upsets not the right word, that he wants
to be out of football school. Fine, I don't care. Again,
it gets back to the same thing. If this is not the place that
you want to be for the long, long haul, don't say that this
is the place you want to be for the long haul. That's all I'm
saying. Well, true, true, you had your ass off, true
j But you know in life that happens all the time. You know how
many marriages are to begin to become marriages. I do, I do.
I love you, I love you, I love you. Get it,
Oh I don't love you. I get it to death, to us part.
But then you have to kill her, or you should have to kill
you. You know what I'm saying, because you're I'm joking, but I'm
serious, because they say all the right things until they don't. Right,
And we come on. My column was you knew this guy was gonna leave.
It was just when? When? Right? And and and in fact,
if one more year he was with that everybody finally one more year because
because he set this up and got all got this fan base all jacked up
about next season with everybody that he's got here, then he took off.
He blew it off, and he know what, and the planet there's gonna
be plenty of jobs that are gonna open up next year for you, and
you could take those two right. Well, yeah, who did we talk?
Laughing? Washington loses him to Florida next year or at some point well
okay, you know what's gonna happen, yeah, or somewhere else. Yeah,
well, junk years. At college basketball, the Wildcats, we haven't
talked about basketball side all week long, which rightly so. But they do
play USC at home eight and nine. USC without arguably they are two best
players in Isaiah Collier and Boogie Ellis is questionable, but Brownie James Junior is
listed as he'll play, but I don't know if that will really matter as
we're twenty point favorites tonight. See, I think people want to see Browny
James. Yeah, I do. Is Dad will show up? No,
they play the They play the Mavericks tonight in Dallas, so I don't think
he'll be there. But I's still a lot I know. That's what we
were talking about at one of the breaks of twenty points. It seems like
for this Wildcat team it could be as easy as as that, or it
will lose outright. It feels like either the Wildcats are blowing teams out these
quote unquote superior opponents or inferior opponents, or they're really struggling with them to
the point where they lose. Well, I think one of the things that
people don't know how difficult it is to win on the road. Yes,
it's unbelievable. Tc TCU just had a great week last week and they lost
last night on the road. If you want some money to be made,
Jay, take take the take the hill team. Don't take the home team
because the road. Winning the road, you can't do that. It's very
difficult road, very difficult road. Teams don't win in It happens all the
time. Hey loots. Teams lost on the road a lot for whatever reason.
Yeah, and it just happens. It's going to continue to happen.
And that brings to the next point. So more top twenty five teams lost
last night TCU, you mentioned Baylor lost on the road, Wisconsin lost on
the road, and you toss State lost that New Mexico. That said today
January whatever, seventeenth, who's the best team in the country? No idea
exactly good answer because exactly probably perdue. Would you been on them given their
history? Yeah, I think they have the best player in the country.
How did they go last year for the best player? That I agreed,
I'm just saying I think they have that. That's you asked me for no,
no, but I did not say no it went And my second best
team would I think the U of A. And look how that went last
year? Totally that That's why your answer the first time was exactly you spot
on. I mean, realistically, right now, Yukons won and they won
the national championship last year, so I mean that kind of makes sense.
But it brings me to a question of and as Arizona fans, we probably
care deeply about this, but how important are is the top twenty five until
March? Like, do you would you rather see your team be ranked all
year or win in March? The answer is obviously, Mark, obviously win
in March. But if you're Arizona, you want to also be ranked.
You want to be in the conversation, the national conversation, because it always
helps, you know when it comes down to, you know, the tournament
stuff like that. If they've been talking about you all year long, you
do get I think you do get a little bump from that. Yeah,
but the same Arizona's been talked about the last two years, even this year,
going into the tournament as one of the best teams in the country.
They should win the national championship? Don't you think could? But they could?
Don't you think that? Again, I'm not in these locker rooms that
don't you think those expectations and that that weight kind of can where where on
the team all year? If you hear from day one, Arizona has the
potential to win the national championship. Oh, they beat Michigan State, they
beat Bama, they hang with Purdue, whatever, this team could win the
national champonship all year long. If you can't handle that, I agree,
don't come to Arizona. I agree, all right, you know those guys.
Look, those guys have been playing you know, high level basketball since
they were like six years old. I don't think I don't think that's as
much of a factors as we like to think. You know, you we
try to put ourselves in that position, you know. I try to put
myself in the position of watching one of these guys have to make free throws
at the end of the game. True, we've never had to do that,
so it's hard for us to imagine what that's like. Let's take this
call. It just dropped. Sorry, give us a call back quickly.
In the NBA, yeah, because we're going to We're going to break here
in a second. There was some NBA breaking news. Pascal Siakam for the
Detroit Raptors got traded to the Pacers. The Detroit Raptors, why did I
say, the true Toronto Raptors. Toronto Raptors got traded to the Indiana Pacers.
The Raptors get Bruce Brown, Jordan Awara, and three first round picks.
I don't know how much that moves the needle in the NBA. But
that trade deadline's coming up, and he was a big name that has been
being brought up. And I don't know if you guys watched Phoenix Suns last
night. The largest fourth quarter comeback since since the since the bubble, So
teams entering the fourth quarter down twenty two or more points were oh and one
thousand and forty four since August of twenty twenty. So, as you can
imagine, I had a fun night. So so now all the things in
Phoenix are gonna go crazy. Oh this is the team, this is all.
We're fine, We're back until the game. No, no, no,
we we play Friday the Sun. The Suns are my week. How
Arizona is your we? Jay? The Suns are my we. We we
in this room, and I think and I think they're back, actually to
the point of they had. They had a five man lineup out last night
with no center, Durant playing the five shooters everywhere. And I think it's
a lineup that can win the championship. Oh, look at that January seventeenth,
today is it is? Remember this day, January seventeenth, book,
you can we have a white board, we can write some stuff, the
Suns can win the NBA Championship. And then lastly, sadly, Dejon Milovich,
one of the Warriors assistants, he passed away this morning at forty six.
Sad news in that NBA community. But yeah, there's there's nothing with
that. In the last thing with NFL, No, we have a minute
left. Mahomes and Josh Allen headlined this weekend's games. I know you guys
will probably talk about it later in the week. Got some good games.
Jason Kelcey has supposedly retired, but he's a resting in the future when it's
time. And then I'm sure you guys are aware of the head coaching carousel
that's about to take place in the NFL too. But where do you think
Jim Harbor is gonna go? I think he's a Charger, you think,
and I Betwink Vrabel or Belichick those two guys will be Philly in Dallas.
I don't know which order it makes sense. I don't Belichick. Dallas deserves
that, they deserve each other. They they do. I think I think
they they'll never win too, But that is breaking news. With all right
seconds despair, Okay, coming up, here in about five minutes. Jason
Johnson quarterback in Arizona the ninety eight to two thousand and two time frame,
ninety nine two thousand and two time frame. He was here when Brent Brandon
was here. Had a lot of a lot of records. Yeah, yeah,
he he, you know, he came in with the Macovic offense and
threw for a lot of a lot of yards. Had tough time winning some
games, but he was a very quarterback and he's been I think made a
career of all. So stick around for Jason Jackson. We'll be right back
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iHeartRadio app. This is I on the Wall with Steve Rivera and Jay
Gonzalez on Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. Hey, welcome back to I on the
Ball here Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve Rivera, He's Jacinsaws. And
on the phone we have former UA quarterback Jason Johnson. Jason, how you
doing joing? Great, guys, thanks for having me on. Good day
for good, as Jim not even good said once said, good to be
a wildcat, Great day to be a wildcat. Hey, it's always it's
always a great day to be a wildcat. Baby, So how do you
feel about to just hire? You know, I'm excited, you know,
I'm excited. I uh, you know, I played at Arizona. You
know, ninety eight to two thousand and two. Brent Brennan was there with
me. You know, his brother Brad was one of my receivers. So
you know, for me, I'm excited because you know, he bleeds bleeds
red and blue and knows the program, knows the history stands for kind of
what this program has always diod for, which is discipline. Enthusiasm, you
know, kind of represents that Tomy eras. So yeah, I think all
fourmer Wildcats are excited to have him. So, you know, you mentioned
you were here during that transition period, you know, last Dick's last few
years and then the first couple of years of of John mcavict. But you
know, in terms of what you saw of Dick and how he was coaching,
it was this was getting towards the end when you know that you had
the Great Night year ninety eight and ninety nine and then two thousand and then
he's gone, Well what was it that captured the players? We've heard a
lot of different stories about what he meant to them, What did he mean
to you? You know, Uh, first of all, he meant he
means family, you know, did tell me. You know, I took
a lot of recruiting trips, a lot of places, and I remember vividly
my recruiting trip Arizona. There's everyone your last name, you know who they
were, what they represent, and uh, you know, for us,
it was like he knew you you wanted to play for him. It was
just that personal connection and I think you knew that he would always have your
back. I mean to us that was that was the thing. Yeah,
yeah, that's what the feeling is from everybody right right from top to bottels.
And then how does that translate to a guy like like Brent Brannan From
what you know you mentioned off air, you feel like you know him pretty
well. What do you see that that that he's carried that that that's carried
over into him. Yeah, I mean I think I think he's he's he's
he's taking his time. You know. It's funny. You know, Brent
was up for this job a couple of years ago before Jed Fish got it,
and you know what, it might have worked out for the best because
he went to San Jose State, he continued to hone his craft, uh,
you know, developed as a coach. But you know, I think
he understands that, you know, what it takes to win in Tucson and
the type of guys you need to get there. And uh, you know,
players can see through coaches come in. They can you know, give
you a lot of raw rock, give you these fired up speeches, but
you know, players know deep down if a coach truly cares about him or
not. And I think Brent is a guy that that's how he is,
you know, and he sets high expectations and he holds you to it.
You know. I think accountability was another word with Dick Tomy that I always
cared about because you know, he set a standard and you had you had
to rise to meet it. And so I definitely see Brent kind of holding
that tradition. And I'll also say I had a very very good friends that
were involved in the San Jose State program the last few years, and they
speak the world of Brent and what he did there. And you know,
going down to places like USC and San Diego State enough and getting victories or
close games, and so yeah, I think he's going to carry that tradition
here of just you know, really connecting with the guys. When he was
the GA and you were on the team, what type of impact did he
have then, Oh, he had a huge impact. I mean he was
he was already well on his way to becoming a great coach and you know,
extremely organized, extremely knowledgeable of the game, and he had that you
know a lot of coaches have great x's and o's, where you know,
they understand concepts and stuff, but he in a way of like delivering it
to the players in a way that they understood. And you know, it's
not it's it's not about being the smartest guy in the room. It's about
making sure your players know what they're doing. And so I I even saw
that as a ga when when when when he was around, you know,
the way he prepared the receivers, the way you know, he gave us
those one or two things that we could actually use. You know, I
got a lot from him, and I know the rest of our guys did
too well. When you see when you see a guy like Brent quote unquote
make it right, you know, he's you know, he he went you
know, he went through the uh you know, up the ladder. You
know, his position coach a couple of different schools, you know, gets
to a place like San Jose State and then stuck it out there, right
he could. I mean, I'm guessing he might have had some other opportunities.
How much does that say about about a guy? You know, it
does say a lot. You know, he has he has loyalty to a
program, and he has loyalty to a mission, you know, and I
know, you know, all of us were so excited for how this season
went, and sort of the general trajectory of our program, and you know,
I think Brent's the type of guy that can can keep that going.
And so, yeah, he had other chances to continue to jump, and
you know, you I would always every year i'd hear rumors of, Oh,
maybe he's going to get the Stanford job, or maybe he's going to
go here, and you know, I think, you know, everything happens
for a reason, and you know, I think those extra couple of years
at San Jose State are probably exactly what he needed to really be the head
guy. You know, a lot of guys. I think what's great about
him too, is he's been a head guy. Like sometimes you get these
hot shot assistants that were a great OC or a great d DC, but
it's a completely different skill set to be a head coach. And you know,
now he has those reps at a high level, and so I think
he's that much more prepared for for what he's going to do here. I
think his his style translates to kids to that you're you're not a kid,
but you were back then a player coach players coach who kind of gets it
with them, yet it's still professional. You know, he's not a hard
ass no, he's not. He likes to have fun, he likes to
smile, he likes to to make it real. And I think that's you
know, if you look at where he just was. You know, I
know San Jose State is far different than Arizona, but when you you know,
to get guys to want to come there, it's sort of the same
thing. I know, we all, you know, want to see Arizona
in the top ten, top twenty every year. But you know, it's
the same thing when you're recruiting head to head with USC, you know,
UCLA, Michigan, you know, now to jump to the big twelve,
like you got to give guys a reason to come there. And I think,
Brent, you know, the fact that he isn't just this you know,
militant slave driver, that he is a real human, that he can
connect with parents, that he can connect with kids, I think it's going
to pay dividends. And I think, you know, we have a lot
of great young players in our program that we want to see stay here and
not enter the portal. And I think I think we're gonna have a lot
of success. I'd love to see you know, all of our top guys
say and I think that's going to be a lot based on his personality and
how he connects with them. Right, we're talking to Jason Johnson, form
Arizona quarterback, played under Dick Tomy and a little bit under John mcviick.
So Jason, put yourself in the room, you know, and understanding you
know the environment today, put yourself in the in the in the room yesterday
with Brent Brandon coming in to meet with the players. And you're a player,
what do you want to hear from you? You know? I mean
I saw clips of it. Actually, what I want to hear from him
is that he's all in and that he cares about you and the fact that
you know, his wife went to U of A. I mean, I
think the clips started to go viral today of him and Brad literally celebrating in
the stands. We're about to go to the Holiday Bowl our twelve and one
ninety eight season. I mean, this guy is a wildcat, and I
don't think that that should be understated because anyone that's been in Tucson, anyone
that's played for Arizona, it's a special feeling and to know that it's sort
of one of our own coming back, you know, Yeah, he didn't
play here, but he understands what it's all about. He's coached here,
his brother played here, his wife's here. I think for me as a
player, I would really connect with that, and I would give him a
chance, you know, and that's all we need. And I think if
you give a guy like this a chance, you know, buy into the
program, you know, I think we're going to see us continue to compete
at a really high level. Yeah, well, you know, Jed started
it. You need a guy who kind of wants to continue it and wants
to be here, wants to be here. But how much how much do
players? What matters more to players the coach or where they're at. I'd
say it's a combination. And let's be honest, the day has changed,
The game has changed, right because you know, back in the day,
it was you know, you make a pick when you're a sixteen seventeen year
old kid and you got to kind of stick it out. Now with transfer
portal, nil, like, it's a whole different world, right, And
so I think I think the place matters a lot. I think the coach
matters a lot. But the the harsh reality of today's game is it's it's
your individual fit in a program. And I think too often we're seeing these
guys you know, you're not You're no longer seeing I didn't start until my
junior year, right, I red shirted, I backed up OJ Keith Smith,
and I waited my time, and and you don't really see that a
lot nowadays. You see kids that, oh I got beat out, I'm
transferring. Oh I got beat out, I'm I'm going here. And so
I think, you know, for these guys, I think he needs to
make each guy understand his place in the program. But coaching matters a ton,
you know, And I think sometimes you know, who he builds the
staff out to be is underrated as well, because you know, people,
especially players, they really really bond with their position coach. So if you
have a really strong position coach connection, I mean, that's another big reason
to stay. Yeah, which leads us to, you know, if he
can get some key guys to stay, you know, notably Noah and t
Mac, they have a chance to be pretty special. Oh. Absolutely,
yeah. I think all of us we were blown away by what Fafita did
this year, and t Mac you know, goes without saying, so,
yeah, if he can keep those two pieces of the puzzle. I mean
that that's going to go a long way just in having that consistency. And
you know, Arizona, you know, we've we've been kind of searching for
that next QB the last number of years and to finally really settle on it
this year and that's when you saw start to have success down the stretch.
And so you know, I think keeping those two guys is probably priorities one
and two. Yeah, So let me ask you about paying quarterback here and
just quarterback at the college level, how difficult is it given one the pressure
you have to have the ability to do it all that because you know you
waited two years to get your chance. Yeah, I mean it's I mean
quarterback generally, it's been called the hardest positions, and I think you know,
it's not just throwing the ball. And that's the thing people don't always
realize, is you know, it's one thing to be able to put the
ball on the money and the one thing to be able to perform under pressure.
But it's all the intangibles, right, It's it's dealing with the expectations,
it's dealing with the media, it's dealing with you know, juggling class
and your teammates and responsibility and so you know, the maturity that was shown
last year by Noah and those guys. It's hard. I'm not gonna lie,
it's it's really hard. But you know, I do think that Brent,
with his offensive mindset, is the type of guy that's going to be
good for a quarterback to play for. I mean, so many times the
success of a quarterback is about fifty percent that guy's skill and fifty percent the
system or the fit. I mean, you look at you know, top
NFL guys get drafted by the Jets or the Panthers, and all of a
sudden they not They're not who they were at Alabama, you know. And
and and it's not that the game is that much harder. It's well,
at Alabama, I had four great receivers and a great scheme and we and
and confidence and now all of a sudden, no one's open and you're running
for your life and everyone's like, what happened to the guy? And so
I think I think part of I think part of it is, like I
said, it's it's what what sort of system are we going to run?
And and how do we utilize our weapons and and how do we put the
quarterback in a position to succeed? No kidding, all right, So Jason,
we've never met, and so we're not like friends or anything. But
I got asked to ask you a question, but you have to promise not
to hang up on me. All right, I got you. Tell us
a little bit about that pick six against USC. Well, what happened there?
I don't. I don't with the bus, but when you run a
smash route, the outside receiver is supposed to come back to the ball drift
away. Okay, but no, no, to this to this day,
that was that was probably one of my lowest You know, it's funny.
I I work a lot with ESPN uh as a director and producer and other
networks, and uh, the great Tom Ornaldy who's now on Fox. He
has one interview, He has one interview question. He always asks everyone.
He always goes what was the low point? That to me was my That
was my low point. I would think of my whole college career. He's
throwing that pick six. That was the frustrating thing. And the funny thing
is, if you look back on that, you know that was in the
two thousand and one season. I think, you know, I don't know
if USC lost again for about four more years after that. That was like
the turning point of their program. And I will also say, if instant
replay was alive back then, Bobby Wade, Bobby Wade did not step out
of bounds on that punt return. I will tell you that, and that
pick would have never happened because he would have ran the punt back for a
touchdown and we would have won by one, by three or four. There
you go, Well, there you go. You know, hey, you
know that that stuff happened. So now I'm sorry I had to ask you
because you know, we haven't We've been talking about trying to get you on
for a while, but Buddy Man said you have to ask him about Well,
yeah, I think it was. I think it was like third six
to third and eight and Melosi Leonard was at thee. I can still remember
it like it was today, and I was trying to throw the corner oute
to Bobby and then like the corner played a little too soft, and then
Melosi knew that we needed eight for the first down and his route was only
five. So if you go back, you know, he didn't come back
to the ball because he was trying to like hold on for first down depth
and yeah, the guy stepped in front of it. But hey, that's
you live and you learn right, you do it. Last last question,
just real quick enlighten us on what you're doing now. So I have a
bunch of things now. I'm kind of a serial entrepreneur now. So I've
you know, I direct and produced TV shows for you know, ESPN,
CBS, Fox, things like that, all kind of thirty for thirty documentary
stuff. But my passion project is me and a couple of friends have started
a football team in Paris. So I'm the managing owner of your Paris Musketeers
in the ELF, which is the European League of Football. There's seventeen teams
in nine countries, sort of like an NFL Europe two point zero reboot,
and uh it's incredible, man. And so I'm like literally on the phone
negotiating deals and trying to you know, gear season tickets up and you know,
we've got the Olympics coming to Paris this year, so they're adjust in
our schedule. So it's uh, yeah, man, it's a lot of
fun. If you look on Instagram at Paris Musketeers. That's our that's our
football team. Yeah, it's incredible. Yeah, you only get so the
rules are you're you're only allowed four four Americans per team, right, you
get four Americans and then you get six Europeans from other countries and the rest
have to be from your country. So pretty much our whole team is made
up of guys from Paris. And you know we're playing teams like the Frankfurt
Galaxy and the Ryane Fire and the Barcelona Dragons. Back from the NFL Europe
days and uh, I'll tell you what I mean. You know, the
XFL and the UFL or USFL kind of merged, but you know, it's
a legit league. And I think over the next five to ten years you're
gonna see a lot of guys, you know, start to go NFL or
major college from Europe more and more. It's a good, a good brand
of football out there. Can you still sling it a little bit? I
mean, I'm not gonna lie. I'm I'm tempted to come back and uh
and maybe play for our for us for a couple of games, but uh
oh yeah, I'll still get I'll still get out there in seven on seven.
I'm like, hey, I own the team. I get to th
seven on every now and then that reason. There you go, there you
go, there you go, there you go. But no, man,
I you know, all of us, you know, especially from that Tony
era, like we you know, we we we still you know, talk
about the program daily and it's made us who we are as people. And
uh, you know, I if I leave you guys with anything, it's
you know, I'm really confident that Brent Brennan is the right guy and and
he's really going to kind of usher in, you know, and continue to
build on what's already been been established with Fish. Okay, thank you,
Jason, Thanks so much man for being a good Appreciate it, guys,
all right, take care man, the success that these kids have. You
know, hey, look how long have we said, Steve though you go
play, play on a team, you know, stuff like that that helps
you be successful, you know a lot of other things become team players right
at the corporate level. Exactly. Good for Jason. Thanks thanks for doing
that, Jason. We do appreciate it. All right, let's take our
last break. We'll take your cause five T zero four one six seventy four
forty We'll try and conjure up a few more clips from the Brent Brandon press
conference, and so we'll have you ask you to stick around. Don't believe,
let just line, don't believe, Let just lae't believe. Just lain.
If you're an Arizona men's basketball fan, you know it's been successful for
nearly forty years. Now take a look back at the Loudolsen era. In
my new book, Lessons from Loot, it was a labor of love through
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all the exs and os. It's Steve Rivera and Jagin Salves. This is
I on the par on Fox Sports fourteen fifty. Hey, welcome back too.
I the mall here Fox Sports fourteen fifteen. I'm Steve. He's Jay
Simon with us. We got about ten minutes. If you guys want to
call in, please do fire two oh four one six, seven to four
four zero. We're gonna get to a couple of clips. And I think
you want to make a correction rule. Yeah, I've been saying that.
Uh. Brent Brandon went to conference championships at Santas the state he did not
he won one. Uh and he won it in that COVID year. They
went seven to one overall seven to zero in the conference. UH and UH
played in the Arizona Bowl here lost that game, but he he went.
He finished tied for second. And I believe played in the conference championship game
in twenty twenty two but did not win the conference Championship. Okay, there
you just saying that. So, uh, we've got some more clips,
a couple of things that I think we wanted to play for the fan.
Oh well, we got to call. Let's take this call. H Are
on the aaron I and the Ball. Oh yeah, this is James.
Hey, James, James, what are you thinking? Uh? You know,
I'm liking the higher I think he's a a Tucson guy. He has
ties to Tucson. I don't think he's going to dip out in the first
time he gets an offer somewhere else. Yeah, disappointed to see Fish leave,
but it seems like he was selling everyone a fake dream the whole time.
Well, you know, James, you're one of those guys that's been
critical, you know Sean and maybe some of the things. How did you
initially initially feel with Jed, Well, you know, I wasn't a fan
of the quarterback scenario for the season, and you know, I think he
got really lucky with the injury to Dolora. It's kind of propelled him to
get a job offer. He really should give or Fafida, maybe even Dolora
some money for being injured to give him a new head start. On a
new career, making a lot more money, and ily like his the game
versus us see him not going for two and overtime playing you know, at
the time the Heisman Trophy winner from the last season. It's USC at USC
and then he doesn't go for it, and then the second overte over time
he tries to kick another extra point and they have the tell them, hey,
you have to go for two. So I don't think he might be
the best of coaches either, Okay, I guess we'll soon see. Yeah,
but yeah, I like the I like it, and hopefully you have
a fan base supports the new coach. I think it's in a positive direction
and I see him being the Tony two point zero, right, Okay,
well, thank you very much. In fact, I might use that line.
That's a good line, all right. I was good to hear from
James, one of the more sensible not sensible guys. You have to pay
him if you use the line, yeah two point oh, why use that?
Jay's trying to die along over here till death do his partner? All
right, Okay, she's gonna okay, ye, another call. We might
not get to those lists. Love having these callers. You're on the R
and I on the ball is naked, Nika, what's up? It's a
great day something? Wow, this is coming I praise from Nico. Hey,
man, I want it? Brett Brandon? Did you want him last
night on Monday? Man? Who is this? I wasn't you know what?
Nicole? Steve doesn't know what he had for lunch two hours ago,
so you know, expecting to remember those Howard? Okay, First of all,
Howard is completely round about. I'd go to twenty football games before I
ever stipped foot the can. Wow. Whoa Okay, all right, I
love that about you. Nico. Man, if I wanted to go hang
out with almost dead people, I go in there. Oh that was we
stepped into that one stepped on soet ticket. You're not going tonight. No,
I had a bad to go cheer on the coach. But okay,
I'm sure they'll bring him out at halftime. So hey, you guys think
it either? All right, Nico takes you bunch always Nico with one ladders
like it. Okay, all right, let's try this again. We'll love
getting your call. So if he skips call five two zero four one six
four, forty would love to hear more from from you out there, who
and what you think of this higher But you know, uh, Brent Briant
to talk about how everybody talks about family, right, but he had a
little bit of his own take on that. And so let's let's real quick
and you play that clip about what he said about family. I think lots
of schools talk about family, and I think it's a cliche thing in the
football world. I don't think anybody did it better than coach Tomy. Here
when I'm seeing all these former players, my brother was a former player,
and how they still interact in the outpouring of love that I that I've gotten
from them since this has all gone down, And that's what we are going
to continue to do. We're going to double down on family, double down
on loving each other and caring about each other, and we will build something
you can all be proud of. I think that was me coughing in the
background. It I'm sure I heard that. I'm pretty sure. And then,
uh, you know, I've seen a question that you know that you
had to ask. You know, you had you were you interviewed for this
job three years ago. You didn't get it. You know, what were
your thoughts on what happened there, and you know, how do you feel
about it now? Three years ago? It was a tricky one. I
was certainly disappointed right the place. You guys know how special it is.
If you guys didn't think it's special, you guys wouldn't all be here.
You know what I mean. The place is really special. So there there
was disappointment, but there was also I had to get a team ready.
It's like the middle of COVID. I had to get a team ready for
a bowl game. It was like we were laughing about it last night.
There's just like a really messy like week for in terms of like our team
San Jose all those things. And but the truth of the matter is,
I think, you know, I was at a great place, and I
had a great job, and this was a great place that I was interested
in that I had a chance to interview for. And I think, you
know, if you want to talk about coach, tell me, you know
that the harder gets the better we play. You know, like, Okay,
I didn't get it, but I need to keep doing a good job
at Santasday State. So there's some point down the road I might have a
chance to go back there and that's what I thought. Good answer, Yeah,
really good answer, really good answer. And then obviously, you know
he's here now, and you know this team's coming off a ten and three
season. There's a locker room full of really good players. You know how
it feels about Okay, I'm here now, and this is what I think.
I think this is a great time to be here because of what Jed
and the staff did, right, They had a fantastic season. What these
players did right, Like, that's the that was really fun to watch.
You know, I'm married to wild Cat Aum right, like, so I'm
we watch Arizona football when I'm not coaching on Saturdays. That's that's part of
it. But I think it's absolutely in a great place, especially when you
look at the the way the facility has changed in those three years. Because
I walked into the locker room today to go talk with some of the players,
and I was here in twenty for the bowl game, and it's night
and day. You know. So the people that have given the money and
donated and been involved on a high level to like make that building so nice
and so efficient, and like that part of it is awesome, because there's
part of it where you know, young people are when they come on your
campus, where they just ask themselves, where am I going to spend the
most time? Well, they're gonna spend the most time in the football facility,
So how does that space feel to them? Right? And so I
think this is a better time to take that job because of the recent success
and because the players that are in the room that are so committed already,
right, So that's gonna be in great alignment with how I'm gonna want to
build it. And then you know, I think Dave and President Robbins have
like put so much support behind it, and the donor base so much support
behind it that's given it a chance to elevate it. Even hearing them again,
it's just so so Ron Howardish, so normal, dude, it's not
it's not a scripted thing. It's not a it's just a normal people.
He'd be packed on the show and actually boot us off of it because he's
just a normal guy. Yeah. It kind of almost easy going, yeah
to a point of like you know, how you know I wrote in my
story fromorrow or Today, I write I wrote, as shucks, it's not
that, but it's kind of like I'm grateful for where I'm at right and
that's and that's you know what, that's all that ever Son, the fans
want yeah earlier, I mean that is it. Yeah, they want to
feel like the guy who's here wants to be really wants to be here.
Well even if look, even if bred Brandon does a great job and he
leaves in five years or six or whatever, you'll feel like he earned that.
But you know, while you're here, act like you want to be
here. Yeah, well we've seen it before someone Nope, nope, rich
Rod, No, nope, we didn't know. We really Yeah, okay,
and Macnavig, who knows. But it's not the same. It's this
is and it's day one right, day one. So what do we know?
We'll see soon see. But I think if I were a man,
I would bet. Yes, everybody we've talked to you have said pretty much
the same, all the same things about it. Yeah, And so I
didn't read Anthony, but I know Anthony's written a few things about him.
Knows him, Kevin covered him, that that's who he is, that's just
who If that's who he is, I think I think things are gonna be
fine even if he can't keep this whole roster, okay, so he'll go
get some more guys. Yeah, Oh, he has no choice, right
right, You know, he still wants to win, and he knows where
those guys are. Yeah, and he's got better tools to recruit with,
and he keeps saying that. So I think we'll be fine. All right.
I guess we gotta get out of here. Thank you for the calls,
Well, appreciate all that. We'll move on, move on. Yeah,
we'll still talk about it a little bit more tomorrow and Friday, probably
because the game tonight. Game tonight, we'll talk about the game, about
the game. Yeah, what do we think A lot that's close? You
guys will both be on the minus nineteen and a half if if you'd be
if I had to give, all right, you give, I'll give.
We gotta get that, all right, sh