This is I on the Ball with Steve Rivera and Jay Gonzalez on Fox Sports
fourteen fifteen powered by Nova Insurance Services, hed Sure your most prized possessions,
katz R two side, and iHeart Radio Station. Good afternoon, and welcome
down on the Ball here on Fox Sports Sports teen fifty on Jay Gonzalez.
My partner Steve Rivera is out for the next two days. I do have
guest co host coming in. He's running just a Scotch Lake because he's a
very busy guy. But it's Mike Fader. You might know him as the
minor league baseball executive through a lot of years here in town with the Tucson
Toros and the Sidewinders later a Stint as as as the head of the Tucson
Sugar Skulls in their in their inaugural season. Now a retired guy running sort
of I guess running the Mexican Baseball Fiesta once a year. And he's on
his way in and should be here any minute, and we're just gonna go
over all this stuff that's been going on. It's been a crazy day.
It's been a crazy twenty four hours since news broke yesterday that Colorado the Board
of Regents was meeting and discussing leaving the PAC twelve to go to the Big
Twelve. And since then there was a meeting of the Big twelve Board of
Directors to formalize an invitation to Colorado to join the Big Twelve. And then
uh less than an hour ago, the Colorado Board of Regions held to vote
and they voted unanimously to join the Big Twelve. So the PAC twelve is
now down to nine. There's a lot of things, a lot of things
that are still to happen. But you know, from where we sit as
following the University of Arizona just we just don't know at this point what this
means for Arizona. There's a lot of speculation on a lot of different fronts
from a lot of different people. Uh some you know here, some throughout
the country. Because this is sort of a the next Domino people are calling
it or it's going to continue the ripple effect of what began all the way
back when Texas and Oklahoma decided to leave the Big Twelve a couple of years
ago. But here we are Texas and Oklahoma after this season, they're headed
to the sec USC UCLA after this season headed to the Big Ten. Now
Colorado after the season going to the Big twelve. The conference is sort of
kind of not in a good spot right now. As far as I'm concerned,
is the PAC twelve, what are they going to do? We're gonna
have a guest that we hope will shed some light on his thinking about this,
and that's a Michael lev the new columnist for the Arizona Daily Start.
He's a senior writer and a columnist. He's uh, he'd covered you of
a football for a lot of years. Now he's the lead columnist with the
semi retirement of Greg Hanson, and so Michael joined us at four fifteen to
talk about what he thinks all this means for Arizona. But there's just a
lot of things being said. Most of it is speculation, but Arizona sort
of at the forefront of what's next for the PAC twelve and the Big twelve
and UH, there's been a lot of discussion that this is going to cause
the Wildcats or the universe of Arizona to leave the Pac twelve and UH and
go over to the to the Big twelve. And we just don't know what's
going to happen. So, Mike, welcome, Thanks for being here,
No, no problem, Sorry, I was running late by fighting the tison
traffic. I get it. I coming from all the way your side of
town at the Colstone Creamer, Yeah, to get here. Yeah yeah.
Yeah. You never know, man, You never know how long it's gonna
take it. But I appreciate you coming in and doing this for a couple
of days, a lot of earlier tomorrow. It's all right, a lot
of stuff going on, Mike, you know much. I tried to keep
notes and I couldn't even figure out. Here's another latest one, well two
latest ones. You heard about Joe Burrow? Yeah, do we know what?
I heard? That? He got hurt? They said as a captain,
hard off the harder off the field, right, is it is?
It? Is it? All first they were worried about that kind of thing,
but they don't think it is. But it's two world you never know.
And then the other one I just hearched. Did you about show Hail?
Yeah, it's gone. I watched the first game. He throws a
one hit shutout. It's a double Henry. He's in the second game he's
gone yard twice. Right, Yeah, so it's kind of crazy. But
yeah, and it's not getting traded now, and he's not getting traded,
and maybe he's happy. Maybe that's why he's doing this. I can't see
him resigned. Yeah, with you, we're gonna talk about that something today
because one of the reasons I wanted to get you in here too, to
fill in for Steven's baseball season. I want to talk with a whole bunch
of baseball I invited you. And then after that, this thing with Colorado
comes up my gun and now that's sort of the you know, sort of
the news of the day. Um. I was just uh, you know,
just talking about how you know, look, Colorado's voted, they're going
unanimous voted their regions about forty five minutes ago. Um, they're they're going
to the Big twelve. And that's uh, you know. Now, the
next question is what happens to the Pac twelve. And I there's a lot
of things that could happen. I don't know that anybody knows what's going to
happen. Well, you're a lot closer probably to the college side than I
am. But I just read I'm just a fan, right, I'm an
avid sports fan. Yea. And what a mess. It is, you
know, when the commissioner can't get a deal done and then he says,
oh, well, we're probably in a much better position now that everybody's getting
there to come on, right, that's a bunch of WHOI right, well,
Steve and I spent some time talking about so much of what what's been
said has been spin, right, more spin and less fact right just well
bloggers, yeah right, got too many people that think they know what they're
talking about. The don't exactly. And I was trying to read about that
story. Who knows what you could believe? You know, even coming here
today as you and you have, ay are the two that are leaving what
nobody knows. But but also by the way, Peter Robbins is now Bobby
Peter Likli is now the head of the of the President's Council, right right,
I, I you know, I don't know, And that's just did
you're hearing everything from It could just be Arizona. It could be Arizona,
Utah and and uh in a s U or it could be Yukon right.
Well, you know I heard yesterday because because basketball, while it's not the
driving force of this in this particular situation, pretty good basketball conference, right,
it becomes it's a really good basketball conference. You know. My way
of thinking is Arizona's got a better football presence than Connecticut. Yeah, Yukon
obviously has a better currently has a better basketball preverence. I guess a national
championship, maybe the national championship, but you know, long term, when
you look at Connecticut and Arizona, you know, Arizona is not that far
behind. They haven't won all the national championships, but they've still got,
let's call it, the blood line of a program that's been to wrink about
that lacrosse player who plays for UCLA that now might have to go from LA
to Connecticut. Come on, right? So yeah, no, it's that
that's that's that part of it is such a mess. But the question that
becomes, you know, and and they think that, you know what what
we're talking about here in teason is what happens to Arizona? Right? You
know, does Arizona want to stick it out? You know? Now?
You know I heard a couple of different writers throw out, Okay, so
the Pac twelve is losing, is losing? Uh Colorado? Do they just
go get San Diego State and be happy with ten teams or do now they
go get San Diego State SMU and one other name being thrown out being Colorado
State, right, and and you know I got I just don't know what
any of that would do, right, I mean, well people, do
people even know that the Big Twelve next year is getting by u R Cincinnati,
Houston and Central Florida. Those are really clamorous teams. Further twelve.
Yeah. See, that's the thing. You know, when the Big Twelve
decided they needed to expand, they went and got four group of five teams
and oh, by the way, they're losing Texas in Oklahoma, right,
They went and got four group of five teams. So there's some people are
saying, well, affair Zona gets those three, that's comparable to what what
uh big the Big twelve did when they lost Texas in Oklore. They won't
replaced Texas Oklahoma with with four group of five teams. So I know so
many you talk about this all the time. Sports show should almost be on
CNBC. I mean, it's all money. Oh you know I wrote down
and you know these numbers. A Big twelve member is going to get thirty
one point seven million dollars per year. How does that compare with the PAC
twelve? What are they get? Well? Right it, right now,
it's comparable. Okay, well the PAC not the PAC twelve deal they have
now, but what they were getting, Okay, that deal is similar to
what they were already getting. The problem isn't why this is all happening?
Why Texas and Oklahoma left the Big twelve? By USC and UCLA left.
Uh? The the PAC twelve is those schools and those conferences are getting seventy
eight. That's the thing. Maybe they actually know how to run their own
TV network. But you know, so, let me let me ask you
think about five minutes here, before our first big you was a fan.
Um, who I know, Baseball has kind of, you know, been
your life. But you're still a fan. You watch college football, you
watch the NFL. You've got your Saints, your Saints T shirt on.
You worked for the Saints as a fan. Sitting here watching all this happen.
Does it turn you off to all of it? Doesn't? Does it
make you? Are you frustrated by it? Do you feel like it's tearing
into your enjoyment of it? I mean, how do you how do you
see this I mean, Steven, we're knee deep in this because we you
know, we covered the uv A. We're over there all the time.
You know, the u A stuff is a big part of what we do
here. You're I would call not an average fan because you're so tied into
baseball, but you know, as a as a profession. But still when
it comes to maybe college basketball, college football, I see you as more
of an average fan. How how are you reacting to all of Well,
I would not be in your category that I'm enjoying it. Okay, oh,
I'm not enjoying it either, but but you know, it's if I
weren't in fantasy sports leagues, you know, on the on the professional side,
how do you how do you keep up with that movement? Yeah?
I mean it, come on, it's it's it's out of control. I
mean, you know, how do you And I'm not I don't want to
get away from college, but uh, the quarterback at at San Diego at
LA getting sixty million dollars a year, yeah, yeah, Herbert right.
Or Or to bring it back to baseball, you got possibly the greatest hitter,
I mean, the greatest player in the history of baseball, and he
was on the trade block and will be a sixty to seventy to eighty million
dollar guy now. And I don't want to get away from your college question
because I'll get back to it. But what people don't understand when they're looking
at the economics of showhail Tani, it's not just his contract. Have you
ever watched the game in Anaheim? Oh? I went to a game with
him in Anaheim. It was it was an obscure, you know, weekday
game. All the signs are Japanese companies. I heard that over two hundred
million dollars are being generator for the Angels through sponsorships in Japan. Yeah,
so is he So he's not worth seven hundred, he's worth four or five
hundred. To that point. It was two seasons ago and we were in
San Diego and we got to, hey, let's, you know, let's
go watch the Angels, not not because we specifically wanted to see show here,
just that let's go to an Angels game, right, And so it
was like a Tuesday night game, Tuesday Wednesday night game. We go to
get tickets and we're in the upper deck all the way down the left field
line, right, because because that was all, you know, that was
all that was available because he was playing, and then of course he he
pissed me off because all he had was a little lame single up the middle.
Right back out. I know you're getting ready for a break. But
back to your college question. Yeah, I think it's much harder, much
harder than when you and I grew up. Obviously right to be a college
friend because he who I mean, is a U A fan going to be
excited when they play SMU. That's it. I don't know, or you
know, I mean, I know we had fun with the San Diego State.
Well, you know, a bunch of us went to the Sandia State
game up. But now if that's a conference game, how meaningful is it?
It certainly isn't going to carry the meaning of playing U sail in USC
every year. No, I mean, it's a fun game, it's a
fun road trip. I'd like San Diego State that one. Yeah, that
one I'm okay with. But as a college football game, you know how
you're gonna rank, I'd rather see him play USC. Then I'd rather see
him play UCLA and then San Diego State falls right somewhere. No, it's
it's it's not good. Yeah, and and I think it's it's much much
harder being a sports fan. And and I think a lot of sports fans
have quit. I agree with you. I agree with you. Were It's
not allowed with me. But no, there, there are, there are.
I mean I had direct TV years ago until I moved. Yeah,
I couldn't watch the PAC twelve. Yeah you couldn't. I was. I
was one of the first direct TV customers in town, and I hated leaving
it, but I had to. All Right, we're gonna get ready to
check her break her chin. I saw that Sugar Skull's head coach is gonna
be in here. We'll wrap the uh wrap the season with him. I
think he'll be surprised that you're here. But uh, you know, um,
another playoff game, another loss in the playoffs, another good season.
But it's a pretty good season. Um, you know. I think the
attendance numbers were you know, we're decent. And so we'll we'll talk to
Herns about just how he felt, you know, with what they ended up
doing. I think I think overall he'll be happy, but I think he's
pretty think he'll be happy with the first two quarters of the playoff game.
Yeah, I think he'll be he'll be unhappy that they kind of the way
they came out in that game, and then you know how it ended for
him because you know, again, you know one of those things take away
the first quarter. They're probably playing this weekend, big opportunity. The Rattlers
had gotten beat chance to host and they let it slip away. So I
see, we'll see where he's at on that. So all right, let's
go and take our break. We're gonna come back with Mike Fader, my
guests, my guest co host, and we'll have Hernis gen head coach of
the Sugar Skills, will be right back. For more than twenty years,
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down all the excess at Alls. It's Steve Rivera and Jagon Summings. This
is I'm the Ball on Fox Sports fourteen fifties. Welcome back to hind the
Ball here on Sports fourteen fifty on Jay Gonzalez. I've got my great guest
co host former. Uh what what do we call ourselves? Work together?
You're still my boss? Right? How is your bottles? Boss? Sugar
Sculls and uh, but you know, Mike and I have known each other
for years and because he's one hundred years old, like ninety five. Um,
and Mike's joined me, is joining me today and tomorrow to fill in
for Steve, who's decided take a little summer summer break. And we're about
we're waiting for hurdis Jin to give us a call head coach of that she's
on Sugar Skulls, um, just to go over his uh kind of wrap
up the Sugar skull season. Uh, you know, a pretty good season,
got to the playoffs. Uh another first round loss, but unfortunately and
uh okay the phone ring, and so I think this might be him.
I heard us? Is that you? Yes? I heard us? How
you doing? I'm pretty good. I just walked out of the thing.
Oh all right, no problem, you're on the air. Just so you
know, and I've got Mike Fader here with me. He was I don't
know if you you'll know that first year. Yeah yeah, okay, you
were here, so i'd bring him all the food. Now I heard us.
Are you what's going on? Yeah? Sorry about the way it ended,
but congrats on another good season. Yeah. Well so yeah, so
let's you know, let well, let's let's talk about this because it's kind
of like, you know, you you're you know, you had a good
season, didn't end the way you wanted to When when it does that,
right? I mean obviously, you know, unless you win the championship,
nobody's you know, totally happy. But you know, you've had a few
days to reflect on your season. Just give us kind of your thoughts,
NA about you know how how I don't know what you want to say,
how you rate your season? But how do you feel about the season.
I feel good the fact that we got something to build off of here,
you know, you gotta it was a lot of one year guys, two
year guys on that team, you know, but h did very well and
got better as the season went on. Gettation of how I feel about it.
I actually feel great about it, you know, when you look for
the future and moving forward and what we did out there, um, you
know, just showing some residents, even in our last game, just the
way we fought back. You know, it just shows that we got a
lot of you know, some things on this all seasons to address and after
that we can actually hit the ground running. Is there ever a way you
could just eliminate the first quarter? I mean last week? I mean it
comes, you know, that's one thing I accepted a long time ago.
It always just comes with the game. And like you just alluded to earlier,
you know, at the end of the day, at the end of
every season, only one team is actually smiling. So you know, that's
a harsh reality for you know, ninety something percent of the teams in the
league that they got to face every year. But we get up on all
season, you know, put our heads up and get back at it.
So you say that you've got some people returning, Can you talk about which
guys are coming back or is it still too early to talk about that.
Oh yeah, it's just a little premature to talk about that. We still
you know, having exit meetings and things of that nature to conclude those things.
But just a general synopsis of the you know, guys that are interested
in going back. Most of our team is interested in coming back, so
I can speak on that, you know, having conversations with them. Most
of our team and two son is interested in coming back to Tucson. They
love the organization, they loved the city as a whole, and they just
you know, see what they can build off of them, and they really
and ready to come back for the most part. Yes, well, I
was going to get to that because you know, I mean, we know
that the indoor the indoor game, the indoor football league, you know,
tends to be sort of a league where teams turn over you know, quite
a bit. A lot of teams do, some teams don't, and the
ones that don't seem to be the ones that tend to. You know,
Buil built some of that consistency. So how important is that for you?
I mean, there's probably some pieces that you want to go out and change
anyways, but how important is it for you to keep sort of a corner
of this team, to kind of keep this thing going that as you say,
you feel like you've built something this last year. It always helps.
It just helps when guys come back who've been here to know, to come
in from day one to notice standers and to help out you know, the
possibly new guys that come in the other pieces to the puzzle, like hey,
we don't do that here, Hey we do this things like this here.
You know, they actually like little coaches assistance out there if you will
say, um, you know when you got guys that's already been here.
So it's huge and even from you know, the beginning of the season,
it just helps create an environment instead of standard like hey, this is the
coach of hen tu Son, so guys automatically coming by in, you know,
on top of what the coach is saying. So, uh, yeah,
I saw that you had a couple of guys, uh Maurice Jackson on
you know, on the second team All League guys like that, Um,
are those guys that are sort of a focus for you guys maybe guys who
were leaders on the team this last year. And look, I you know,
we had Karrington Thompson on the show last week and he said this was
it for him, so you know, he obviously a key part of your
offense. So you know that you're gonna have to go get some guys anyway,
so you know where do you where do you focus on in terms of
figuring out the guys. We gotta try really hard to get back. Oh
yes, you know, you always want to you know in any event when
you're building the team, you Bill came inside out, so I saw with
interior and that's on both sides of the ball. You know. Then you
start with some middle pieces, like you're sending a quarterback, running backs and
those guard linebacker, safeties, and you just build out from there, you
know. So once you you know, going into the offseason of recruiting,
that's how you want to approach it. And you and you start with what
you have here with your team. If you got pieces on the interior and
middle pieces that you like, you build from there. And of course,
a player like Karrington Thompson's definitely, you know, hard to replace, but
you know that's a part of the business that comes with it. We just
got to come and you know, find the next Counton Thompson, find the
next young CT out there. And you know, you we got guys like
Dudley who was out there. You know, you got guys like uh,
you know, uh Patterson, Darry and Patterson. That was hurt and launch
part of this season. You know, guys that actually can play, that
can develop, that they can take this off season and build from it and
be special next season. We've all obviously when you live in Tucson and you
become a u of a fan, Uh, can you talk a little about
Rashi Hodge, how he went from when he first got here to where he
is now and maybe for the people listening that don't know who he is,
kind of say our position he plays and stuff like that. So coming coming
into this season, you know, I had questions about that, and I
told people that you know, last year not because it was his fault,
we just was he was filling avoided the need that we had, so he
was out of position. We had him playing linebacker. So now this year
you come and put them something he was natural at just playing cornerback and he
can play in the box as a strong safety type of guy. He's actually
has that versatility. But I tell you know, Russie, he's actually a
pleasure to coach. He's a guy that just comes in, does the work,
doesn't complain day after day after day. He gets it. He you
know, he leads by example when it comes to his play, uh,
you know, and on and off the field. He's a guy you just
don't have to worry about in the locker room. He's always a positive,
you know guy in the games, he just does his job. Man.
That's somebody who if anybody was trying to give a chance to he would be
one of the guys that you know, definitely this organization, coaching staff,
teammates, everybody without sports. Okay, we got to ask you about Mike
Jones. This was his fourth year with the team. You mentioned a couple
of times in previous uh appearances on our show that you know Benjamin Jones kind
of talked him into playing this year. Have you had any indication for Mike
Jones as to what he's going to do, because you know, he's the
one guy, right He's the guy that's sort of been the steady force for
you guys, not just you know, at his position, but you know
as a guy on the team. What do you know about Mike Jones right
now? Oh? You know what a lot of people don't know is you
know, uh, Mike Jones played the majority of this season, you know,
with some injuries, nagging injuries to both of his big toes on both
sides of his seat in the last couple of weeks with a swollen knee.
You know. So that's just somebody that's been there from day one and this
organization. He's, you know, one of the faces of this organization.
And again he's a pleasure to half. He don't say much, but I
will say the last conversation me and Mike Jones had the last thing he said
to me, he shook my hand, gave me a hug, said he
appreciated everything, and coach, I got more in the tank and I would
love to play for you. That last conversation, Well that's I mean,
you know, I feel like, you know, he's a guy that just
does the work, right. I mean, you know, I you know,
I made that comment a number of times on your games. You just
see him go out there. He does the work. I sometimes he's flashy,
but mostly he's just out there, you know, grinding and carrying the
ball and and kind of making things happen. And I mean every team needs
guys like that, right, Yes, you know, because again when you
look and see a guy like Mike Jones and say, you know, okay,
he's a guy that you got a game plan for he's the start figuring
this league around his league. He gots the name for himself in his league.
So when you come to practness and say like, hey, you know,
Mike Jones don't miss no practices. Hey, you know, if we
need somebody for a scout team, Mike Jones sells out and gives itself for
the team day after day after day, and still goes in the games and
produce. He does all of this while not saying a word, while while
not complaining about anything, by steady just being a custom for us in the
film room, like hey, guys, you know, hey, we need
to really focus this week. We need to really do this this week.
You know, it's hard to find people like Mike Jones with that ability and
you know, somebody that's actually very a very very selfless person. So,
um, Mike and I were talking about attendance this year. It seemed pretty
good. You had a couple of crowds over four thousand. It seemed like,
you know, you guys did take a step forward with that this year.
You know, the you know, better attendance than last year. I
think there are still people kind of not sure about going to advance and h
and you know, still a little a little bit of a covid ain't around
them. I don't recall anybody saying I'm not going to a game because they
still don't want to be around crowds. That's a little bit about what you
thought of the atmosphere and if you felt like it did take a step forward
this year. I definitely thought it took a couple of steps forward. Man,
just to consistency in the crowd and the support from the community. You
know, there's a couple of steps forward. It was a joytid players.
That's why even when we struggle at home, it was like, man,
you know, I really would want everybody in this community to understand that these
guys really appreciate you all and really go out there and try to play as
best as they can at home and fight hard. But just to have the
support of the fans is huge. You know, even when they come down
to last seconds of all the home games and you see, you know,
I recall the Duke City game. You're looking at crowding. Everybody's standing up
when you look around. That is a joyous occasion. You know, you
got a middle age, old age, younger age kids, everybody off their
feet, enjoying the game and enjoying the product organization put out there on the
field for Tulsium is definitely something that took a couple of steps forward and we
definitely appreciate. All Right, So you mentioned a few minutes ago, you
know, you got you gotta finish exit interviews, talk to everybody and stuff
like that, and then you know, wrap up this season. So give
me a give us a rundown of you know, what are you doing between
now and let's say, you know, the end of the year, the
end of the calendar year, what goes on with the Sugar Skulls in terms
of, you know, holding the team together, trying to get ready so
that when the calendar turns now, you're getting ready for the next season.
And there's a lot of things in place. But what's your role and what
kinds of things do you do? You do? Oh, you know,
it's just you go back and you you know, first and foremolways, you
start thinking people. You know, you like to start off by thinking people
that helps this thing go. All the sponsors, the full partners and everything
or anybody that's involved. We're helping this go and grow and go. In
Tucson, you start off by just giving a huge thanks to them and just
show some gratitude. Then after that, you know, you meet me and
you know, Kathy and Kevin will have some meetings, just talk about,
you know, visions or what we can do better, how we can service
each other better, where we can grow at things that we like, things
that we didn't like on both ends, and you know, and you just
talk about, okay, now, how can we grow from here? And
you strategize when it comes to that. You even sit down with people in
the front office and show them that, hey, we were thankful for what
you all did. We're getting help getting people in those stands. And then
out there, I started taking you know, h notes of myself. I
started the self scout and see, okay, where do I need to do
better? What areas I need to do better? And that's where I start
recruiting from what then, okay, what areas you know we need to do
better? As a team. You meet with your assistance and say were the
things you like you didn't like? Were the things that you self scouted about
yourself? And where can we get better at in the off season, and
you start there with the recruiting, you know, to recruit specific for what
you want and where you wanted at and then no, you just look back
and take notes of all those things, you regroup, and you start to
channel energy into making it better. Yeah, all right, well, hurt
Us, it was fun. It was certainly interesting. I know that,
you know. The home record wasn't what you wanted it to be, but
certainly every game was was crazy. I do, I do know that,
and you you guys weren't boring, that's for sure, but uh, you
know, it was a lot of fun. Again, you know, congratulations
on a you know, on a pretty good season again, playoffs three out
of four years for this for this organization, which I think is it says
a lot about what goes on not on not only on the field, but
off the field. So when it congratulate you guys for that, and uh,
you know, thank you. Let's see if you you can pull this
thing together next year. And we were looking forward to, you know,
when you guys start putting this team together. Thank you, man, appreciate
everything all season. Thank you. All right, hurt Us, be well,
and uh, don't be a stranger. We'll talk to you soon.
Okay, Thanks, it's hurt his chin head coach of the Tucson Sugar Skulls.
They're kind of wrapping up their year and again, you know what we
talk about that, right, you don't win the championship, there's a little
bit of you that says it didn't go as well as we hope. Well,
I've I've been involved in running sports teams for over thirty five years.
He said it. I mean, there's only one team that you're champion at
the end of the year, and the rest of them are disappointed, unless
you're that team that surprises. Yeah, that was so bad the year before,
you you know, but no, it's it's it's it's frustrating. I
mean I remember feeling pretty good about you know, the first year and getting
into the playoffs. Um, you know that it had had to win the
last home game right to get in. It was a big deal. Uh,
you know, celebrated it. It was exciting and that was great.
I know they lost their playoff game, but that was great because they were
a brand new team. Right. Well, anytime you can do things like
that, it's always special. Uh. And you know, it's just you
know, right now, it's it's funny going back to baseball just to hear
the rumors, you know, with the trade deadline coming up, I mean,
how they're going to chang your team? Am I a buyer? Am
I a seller? What? Am I? Well? Are your fans disappointed?
You know, if you're a fan of Chicago White Sox, are you
mad right now? I mean you just gave up two guys that are in
the major league team, Giolito and Lopez. Uh, And it's it's There's
gonna be a lot more big ones than that, that's for sure. But
it's hard being a fan. And it's even harder being an administrator right now
because expectations are so great. You know. The one thing I said on
my role, whether it be running a minor league team, working for an
NFL team, the hardest thing over the last five ten years is the owners
have gotten out of control. I mean, you know, it's uh,
you know, we experienced that a little, but uh, they they pay
too much for their franchises, and they blame everybody else but them, right
Yeah, I hear you, And it's you know, it's it's it's difficult.
I mean I talked to friends in Triple A baseball, and you know,
do you know what a Triple A baseball team goes for nowadays. Oh,
it's it's it's in the fifteen twenty million dollars, twenty million dollars.
Yeah, yeah, no, I hear you. All right, let's let's
take our next bar accord and come back. We'll take your calls five two
zero four one seventy four forty. We'll talk about whatever you want to talk
about. If you want to talk sugar Skulls, will do that. If
you want to talk about this everything going on with the with the Pac twelve
and Colorado leaving, we'll talk about that. If you want to talk trade
deadline. There's some injuries today in the NFL that are going to be key.
We'll go through some of that stuff as well. So give us a
call five two zero four one six seventy four forty. We'll be right back.
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Streaming live on the iHeart Radio AHAP. This is I on the Ball with
Steve Ribera and Jay Gonzalez Sports fourteen talking back on valling on Fox Sports fourteen
fifty On your host, Jay Gonzalez. Uh's mentioned my partner, Steve Rivers
out for the next couple of days taking a little summer vacation in a place
that I hope it's cooler because well it's not hard to bear. I saw
it in the in the East, and that's that's the voice of Mike Fader
my my old friend. And and when I mean when I say old,
I mean old. I'm so sorry. Who's a long time locktime peace on
sports guy who's here for the next couple of days. Uh. Had had
a lot of fun with herdis jin as we both worked together Sugar Skulls with
herdis So, um, Mike's here for the next two days. And uh,
you know, Uh, I told I told Mike coming in, you
know, I wanted to talk some baseball, right, That's one of the
reasons I wanted to do to bring you in. You know, we'll talk
some baseball. Steve. Steve doesn't care about baseball, so it's kind it's
hard for me to talk about it. So um, but you know,
I thought we're gonna and then this whole, this whole move with Colorado to
the to the Big twelve came up, and that kind of it's kind of
swallowed everything up right now. I'm sure Michael Leve will talk about that.
Yeah, exactly, exactly. Yeah, that's what that's what I got.
I got it because you know, I we got to talk to Michael Levin.
He'll be on at at four or fifteen, you know what. Now,
for Arizona, right, and that that's the deal. So but let's
let's talk some baseball. We're talking so I know you're a Dodger fan.
I'm sorry dog that, uh, but you know it's it's weird. So
the Angels, you know, you know, I don't even know what it
is right now, but the Angels were only four games out of a playoff
spot, right, Uh, so I guess there's no sense to just shut
it down. No, absolutely, And then they and they were going to
It's not like they were ready to, right, and all of a sudden,
there four games. I was like, okay, now we can't.
You know, the team I follow is the Chicago Cubs. Do you know
they've won six in a row? I heard, and in our four and
a half games out of a playoff spot. Now, now you know this
name, and it really is going to irritate me if they trade. And
you know how, I'm gonna say, Cody Bellinger, Yeah, he's having
a t and that dude was That dude was on my fantasy team the last
few years and he sucked. No, he was terrible, but just watching
him now, yeah, and what's the difference. Well, confidence and I
heard I heard somebody talking about his swing. Yeah, uh, he was
really long. Uh and and he's you know where he couldn't hit a left
hander now he can. Uh. And and I guess they made some really
nice adjustments for him. But he only signed a one year deal. Yeah.
And you know to me and I don't own the Wrigley Company or whatever.
Uh, you lock him up, you got you have to. He's
young, he's good. He was the MVP a few years ago. Years
ago. He's he's really well liked. You know, they signed Dansby Swanson
to a long term deal. They got in half to a long term deal.
Nice. Horner is a really good young player. Uh, don't just
break it up. Right. Maybe he doesn't want to stay in Chicago.
I don't know why he wouldn't, though, Well, right, you play
a lot of day games. That's a cool place. I get to hang
out at real restaurants at night, exactly. I finally got to go to
Fenway Park because Wrigley are like my two bucket list stadiums that I've got to
get to. I finally got to Fenway. I'm sixty three, but I
finally got there. I still got I still got to do Wriggley But why
wouldn't you want to play in Wrigley Field? I know maybe the locker room
isn't as nice as the next lot of the visiting team, but the home
locker room they fix up a lot. Yeah, but you know it's still
you know, look like like like Fenway to me walking under the you know,
in the concourse that Fenway. It was cool to me because it's such
an old statement. We had to call it coming in. It's very old.
Yeah, you're on the air and on the ball. How's it going
today? What's up? Brian? Well, dude thinks, uh, back
to well, we need to get out as fast as we can. Why
why do you say that? Yeah? Because okay, do you want to
have a conference? Basically? That is the wack conference again. Okay,
let me ask you this, but let me ask you because this I didn't
I really didn't think of it like this. Okay, with the way that
if you look at all all the teams in the football I'm talking football,
all the teams in the Big twelve, all the teams in the Pac twelve,
who are the two but not counting texts in Oklaoma because they're leaving,
who are who are the two best teams if you if you count all those
teams in the Big twelve, no, combining the Big twelve in the Pac
twelve, who are the two best teams not count text in Oklahoma Washington?
Yeah? Right, So you know the thought was from a football standpoint,
the Big twelve isn't really all that much better than the Pac twelve, even
if even with Colorado leaving, you bring let's say you bring in San Diego
State, I'll take I'll put the the twelve, the ten Pac twelve teams
up against the Big twelve. And now where it's different, it's basketball.
Well, let me say one more thing when we go. We talked about
this earlier. Okay, the Big twelve? Is he adding BYU, Cincinnati,
Houston and Central Florida? Is that great? Shakes? Right? That's
like adding San Diego State, SMU and Colorado State. Who are the three
teams that are being talking about? So well, anyways, I don't mean
to cut you off in terms of that, but what are your thoughts on
all that? Well, you know, I'm still thinking what, Okay,
We've lost two huge markets now, right, Okay, And I'm not worried
about the teams themselves. But you've lost such a large exposure by losing that
Denver market, and we have we have no Southern California market whatsoever, right,
and and that that really hurts. It's not so much the teams,
it's the markets you're losing. And now the Colorado has gone, how soon
tell Washington and Oregon are out of here? Because there still is for some
unknown reason, we have no TV contract. Right. Well, that's the
thing, and and that's the thing, if all things being equal, the
PAC twelve does not have its You know, what I think is gonna happen
is they're gonna sign some TV deal that's gonna pay them twenty three twenty four
million dollars. They're gonna, they're gonna they're gonna stick with that. They're
gonna sign a five year deal, and the next round of realignment is going
to throw everything up in the air and it kind of all gets start over.
Now, I think that's the end of that kind of a contract for
twenty three millions around. Um, take the extra nine million and go to
the Big twelve and see what happens in if they invite to. Yeah,
but I think they will. I think that I think they would only for
the fact we are pretty an inviting team to have. You know, even
though our football programs on the rise, it's, of course it's not that
great yet. Our baseball team is good. Softball's good, Basketball's terrific.
As we all know, it would be the best basketball conference, right if
if it happens, if it, if it happens, if air Zona goes
to the Big twelve. To me, it's going to be about the basketball.
Oh yeah, by fall. And I'm just not sure how much that
is going to drive this Yeah yeah. Also one thing too, You're talking
about baseball contracts, and you know, I'm very happy that Cody Bellinger's doing
well. Cubs are not going to sign him to a long term contract.
I mean, he's having a great year, but he's had four pretty crappy
years after he had his MVP year. Now it's one of those things,
where are we are we gonna get this guy a five year, one hundred
and twenty five million cup on our contract. But that's the world we live
in. I know, I know, if we can turn around and get
some young players and build this thing up, and then you know, I
think signing Dan v Swanson for one hundred and seventy million dollars was a huge
mistake too. I would I would disagree with that because he's tremendous defensively,
right, I mean tremendous. I mean he's a Golden Glove infielder and he's
hitting one time gold Glove fielder infielder. But he also what is it,
what's this career batting average about two sixty? It's players, I mean,
players get better. I mean it's you know, it's when they're a young
player, they don't do great. Uh you don't think Dan's Swanson did good
for the Atlanta Braves. Well, he did great for the Atlanta Braves.
Everything they had around him too. That makes a huge difference when you have
a lineup like that, and you know, I mean, look at the
Braves have this year. Their lineup is stacked. Everybody's good, unbelievable.
So, but is Cody Bellinger have a great lineup around him right now?
Um? Part of that lineup yet? But still are you willing to are
you willing to give him a five six year contract at one hundred and twenty
five million? I was definitely knowing his past his last four years in baseball.
Well, you keep going back to the past. He was hurt,
Iasontor Fan. How hurt was Cody Bellinger? Well, he was hurt,
but he pissed me off. Right, I mean, here's here's a good
question for who's gonna take Who's gonna take Cody Bellinger's place if he leaves?
Well, okay, and that's what the that's what the Cubs have to decide.
Are they looking at Okay, are we gonna go really young and build
this program up? Well, we're gonna go ahead, go ahead and sign
him and try to put some people in place around him. Well, they
brought they brought up a stud first baseman from the minor leagues who was going
to be the next coming. He got sent down last week. Right,
Uh, It's baseball is a hard game. I mean, I can tell
you worked for thirty years, you know it's it's it's a very very difficult
game, you know, especially, I mean I hate the word sweepers.
You know, all of a sudden that they've invented a new pitches it's a
slider and right, But I mean, you sound like you're a knowledgeable guy
five years ago today, have all your relief pictures throwing one hundred plus.
Yeah, yeah, seriously, you know it pretty kind of stand is that
you're gonna turn around and you're gonna pay pictures all this money who only throw
five innings a game? Well, and that's the one thing when you talk
about money again, I would probably give it to a guy who plays one
hundred and forty games instead of a guy who pitches every fifth day. Uh,
I don't. I would agree that that's not a great investment. You
know, there's a guy with the Texas Rangers right now. I think his
name is Jacob deGrom R. What is the last two years? Exactly?
Exactly? Hey, Brian, you know, I know the Dodgers are going
to go excited how much you're gonna pay a guy like that, knowing that
possibly he's only gonna pitch probably about um maybe as a pitcher two more years.
I can't There's there's so much more that comes with the showy. Hey
Brian, we gotta go. We're hit the top of the hour. So
all right, man, we'll talk some more. Thanks so much for college.
Okay, you know what's it's it's funny. I mean, you're an
executive, if you're a baseball executive, so I think you understand this more
than a lot of the guys. When you you gotta pay a guy,
you know, how much do you pay him? How long do you pay
him for? You know, we've seen some of these comments. You're not
comparing it to five years ago. Yeah, I look, if Cody Bounders
you feel like he's got it back, then I think you pay him.
I think you know, Brian talks about twenty five million like it's a it's
a ton of money. That's not a lot of money anymore. That's a
good deal. That's that's not a bad deal if you can get a guy
like Cody Bounder for that amount. All right, let's take our next breakwhere
to come back. We'll be breaking news and it's a lot of it's still
surrounding this Colorado deal, but some other stuff going on, so we'll be
right back. Come on,